SYRACUSE -- Syracuse Police say they are investigating a shooting that happened around 1:15 a.m. Thursday morning in the 500 block of Herkimer Street.

Police say the victim, 32-year-old John Warren of Syracuse, was in his vehicle with the suspect. Warren was apparently talking with the suspect about collecting a debt when a dispute started and Warren was shot in the back.

Warren was taken to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition and rushed to emergency surgery. Police say he appears to have suffered paralysis from the waist down.

Police say Warren remains in critical condition.

The suspect is described as a black male, in his late teens to early 20s, with a short and slender build. He was last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

The suspect ran from the scene in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to contact the Syracuse Police at 315-442-5222. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.