Eight people were shot in Coney Island on Saturday night, including two children, when gunfire erupted as large crowds gathered to watch a Fourth of July fireworks display, the police said.

At 10:37 p.m., the police said, officers responded to a 911 call from 2929 West 31st Street in Brooklyn, just off Surf Avenue near the Coney Island boardwalk, where a Fourth of July fireworks display began around 10 p.m. The police said officers arrived to find eight gunshot victims, who ranged from six to 37 years old. Among them was a 21-year-old woman who was shot in the chest and was in critical condition early Sunday.

Among those injured were four boys, aged six, seven, 12 and 14. The seven-year-old boy was shot in both legs, and the six-year-old boy was shot in the abdomen, the police said. All were expected to recover.

The motivation for the shooting remained unclear. The police did not identify a shooter, and there have been no arrests.