'A lot of chaos': Witness describes shooting outside of Carla Madison Rec Center

A witness described the moment a shooting rang out outside of the Carla Madison Recreation Center on Wednesday afternoon, just about half a block away from East High School.

Shellie Martinez, who's a barber and stylist at the Hollywood Barber Shop, was cutting hair just across the street from the recreation center when it all unfolded. Martinez said dozens of students were gathered outside of the facility. She said this was not the way she imagined her afternoon would play out.

"Just a lot of chaos," Martinez told CBS News Colorado. "I mean I was a little shaken up because that's just not something you see every day."

Martinez was feet away when several shots rang out around 4 p.m. Martinez said two teen males were fighting right before the shooting. Moments later she and her colleagues saw a boy fall to the ground.

"I was actually the one holding pressure on the kid until the paramedics got there," said Martinez. "The boy we were helping got shot in the face, right here… there was no exit wound, but he couldn't really talk, but was coherent."

They began calling 911. Other students started running from the area, looking for safety. Many of the students' belonging were left behind at the scene. A backpack, shoe, and clothing were taped off as part of the crime scene.

"There were a couple of girls that knew him, they were calling his mother and were pretty frantic on the phone just a lot of students," Martinez said.

Denver police said the two juvenile males who were hurt in the shooting were rushed to the hospital. The extent of their injuries still unknown. Late Wednesday East High School Principal Terita Walker released the following statement to the community saying:

"Denver East Students, Parents, and Community,

We would like to make you aware an incident took place off campus at the Carla Madison Rec Center this afternoon after school had been released. DPS Safety and Security placed our campus on a secure status and it remained safe during the duration of the incident. Although this event occurred after school was released, if your student shares with you any need for additional support, please contact Lindsey Vesceri at Lindsey_Vesceri@dpsk12.net or contact the front office and they will connect you with support. We implemented a controlled release as we worked to reunify students.  Please know that we always take these matters very seriously, and that nothing is a higher priority than the safety and security of our students and educators. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. We look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow into a safe environment."

Martinez is pleading for the violence in the area to stop and said students need to learn to handle matters in a different way.

"There has to be a better way to handle your confrontation because there's no regard for life anymore," she said. 

UPDATE: Investigation continues after double shooting outside Carla Madison Rec Center