Police in Monmouth County are investigating a shooting that unfolded Thursday afternoon in downtown Freehold, near the Freehold Public Library.

Authorities say an adult man was shot in what prosecutors are calling an isolated incident. The shooting happened along East Main Street, where police tape remained stretched across part of the area for hours as investigators worked the scene.

Officials have not confirmed whether the shooting took place inside or outside the library. The condition of the victim has not been released, and it remains unclear if any arrests have been made.

Nearby business owner Elizabeth Porshay, whose shop is located just steps from the library, said she initially didn’t realize what she was hearing.

“I heard gunshots, and I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. “I thought maybe it was a car, and then I saw a bunch of police cars and ambulances drive right up in front of my door.”

Porshay said she later saw the victim being taken away on a stretcher.

“There was a lot of blood,” she said. “We heard that he got shot in the head, and it was right here in the library.”

The incident has shaken residents and visitors in what is typically a busy and active part of town.

“I have always felt safe,” said Marcy Seymour, who was visiting from Toms River. “To see this is shocking.”

Others echoed that sentiment, noting the timing of the shooting in the middle of the day," said Porshay.

“It makes you feel a little scared,” said Kevin Hall of Sayreville. “You don’t expect something like this to happen here.”

Investigators with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Freehold Police Department remain on the scene as they work to determine what led up to the shooting.