A man was shot dead Sunday during a shooting at Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, western Canada, police said.

The homicide investigation team said in a tweet that the shooting took place in the afternoon near the departure hall at the airport in Richmond, south of Vancouver. The team indicated that police officers were deployed at the scene.

The police intervened around 3:00 pm after shots were reported while they were looking for several suspects, according to the official Radio Canada.

Richmond police wrote in a tweet that police officers "spotted a fleeing vehicle and came under fire from suspects," but nobody was injured. She added that the suspects are currently on the run.

Public Security Minister Bill Blair said on Twitter that "local police are investigating" and had linked the shooting and gang violence.

"My thoughts go to the people of Lower Mainland who have often been affected by the violence related to weapons and gangs, especially during the last week," he said.

Police stated that activity at the airport "has returned to normal."

The airport administration indicated via Twitter that the situation had been "controlled" and the airport was "open and safe."