Two men, one of them suffering from a gunshot wound, escaped from a hotel where they were being held as part of a human smuggling operation and fled to a nearby iHop for help in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, police said. 

Two other victims of the human smuggling operation who were also suffering from gunshot wounds escaped from the hotel and made their way to a hospital for treatment. 

Human smuggling operation

At least four men, three of them with gunshot wounds, escaped from a hotel where they were being held as part of a human smuggling operation in Houston, Texas.  (Fox 26 Houston)

Police responded to the hotel and stopped two vehicles that were fleeing the scene. Nine people were taken into custody, but investigators are still trying to figure who is a suspect and who is a victim. 

TEXAS STATE TROOPERS STOP UBER CARRYING FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ALLEGED HUMAN SMUGGLING OPERATION

"They told us that this shooting happened earlier in the morning, approximately two hours west of here in the greater San Antonio area, but the exact location is not known," Houston Police Department Commander Jonathon Halliday said at a news conference. 

Images of the scene captured by Fox 26 Houston showed a large police presence at the hotel. 

Houston human smuggling

Police detained nine men who were fleeing the hotel in vehicles after the gunshot victims were located.  (Fox 26 Houston)

Houston human smuggling operation

Two of the men who escaped went to a local hospital for treatment.  (Fox 26 Houston)

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An additional gunshot victim was also reported to police in connection with the incident, but officers haven't located that fourth person. 

All three victims are males between the ages of 30 and 40 and are in stable condition. Police are still trying to identify the countries of origin for everyone involved.