LEWISTON — Several vehicles were struck but nobody was hurt Friday afternoon when an unidentified gunman opened fire at a mosque at the bottom of Bartlett Street hill.

Witnesses reported hearing as many as a dozen shots ringing out at about 2:30 p.m. It was the third time in a week the downtown has been rattled by gunfire and the second time shots have been fired at the mosque since the start of the year.

After gunshots were reported in the area between Masjidu Salaam Mosque and the Italian Bakery across the street, police descended on the scene. They fanned out across the street, searching for potential victims and suspects. None were found.

A pair of teenagers said they had been riding their bicycles in the area when they heard the gunshots. One of the teens said he heard a dozen shots. The other reported hearing 14.

A woman on Androscoggin Avenue, a short distance away, said she heard at least 10 shots and that she could hear the rounds whipping through the trees near her home.

Police found bullet holes in several cars parked near the mosque but several people who were at prayer inside the building at the time said no one was hurt.

Witnesses told police they saw two men firing in the direction of the mosque. The suspects were then seen fleeing on foot, police said.

An hour after the shooting was reported, police were continuing to investigate witnesses and search for suspects.

The shooting occurred just down the road from Mike McGraw Park, where a handful of children were playing at the time. It also occurred just outside the Italian Bakery while a number of people were inside the business.

Last Saturday, a man suffered gunshot wounds after a shooting on the lower end of Bartlett Street. Three days later, a drive-by shooting on Pine Street resulted in a five-hour police standoff before a local man was arrested.

It was not immediately clear if any of the recent shootings are linked.

In March, a 19-year-old suffered a gunshot wound during a shooting in the mosque parking lot during the celebration of Ramadan.

Last summer, a pair of shootings were reported in the same area. Three juveniles were later taken into custody.

Police on Friday said they were beefing up patrols in the area of the recent shootings. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, meanwhile, put out a public appeal for public help in finding the shooters.

“We need to work together if we are going to reduce gun violence in our community,” he said. “I encourage anyone with information to come forward and contact the police department immediately.”

Anonymous tips, Sheline added, can be made through the city web page at lewistonmaine.gov.