1 dead, 8 wounded in a shootout at the Ala High School graduation party.

The celebration and pride became a tragedy for a small Alabama town after gunfire broke out at a graduation party in high school.

One person was killed and eight others wounded at a community center in Atmore, near the Florida border, early Saturday.

According to witnesses, a brawl broke out between two women at a graduation party for seniors at Escambia County High School. While people were trying to separate the two women, police said, shots were fired inside, hitting several people.

Atmore police chief, Chuck Brooks, told CNN officers following a 9-1-1 call for shots to be fired at the community center around 2 am Saturday. Once the police arrived at the scene, shots were fired again and the police found a dead man in the center cafeteria. The shooting took place in a former college turned community center, police said.

The eight wounded were taken to a local hospital.

The suspects have fled and are still on the run, Brooks said.

High school principal Dennis Fuqua said in a statement on Saturday that the community "felt the sorrow of the tragedy caused by the violence that has hurt many of our past and present students."

"It is unfortunate that the event at the community center tainted the success felt by our seniors and our football team, but we love our Blue Devil family and will continue to pray for wisdom and healing," Fuqua said.

Hollie Silverman and CNN's Juanta Coffman contributed to this report.