Shots were fired as crowds were gathered for the Lone Star Rally in a historic district known as The Strand around 11 p.m. local time, Galveston Police Department spokesperson Kurt Koopmann told CNN.
All five people who were shot were taken to an area trauma center for treatment, Koopmann said.
“One person of interest has been detained, but not charged at this time,” Koopmann said, adding that the incident is under investigation.
It’s unclear what led up to the shooting, or how many people opened fire.
The rally had already drawn a heavy law enforcement presence to the area, which allowed first responders to react quickly, Koopmann said.
The Lone Star Rally is billed as the largest four-day motorcycle rally in North America, according to its Facebook page. The organizers posted that hundreds of thousands of people were headed to the island this weekend.
“There remains a very active police investigation in the area, with the street closed between 21st to 23rd Streets,” Galveston Police said in a statement on Facebook. “There are motorcycles and other property in that area that must remain in place until the investigation is complete.”
Galveston is an island city on the Gulf Coast of Texas, about 50 miles from Houston.