Three men, at least one armed with a firearm, beat up an innocent man before heading next door and repeatedly shooting their victim.

Neighbours of a Derby St, Hamilton, house today told the Herald the gunmen first went to the wrong property in their search for the shooting victim, Mike Bell.

The innocent neighbour was in his garage drinking beers at the time when he was confronted by the gunmen about 10.25pm last night.

After a tussle, which another neighbour said saw the innocent victim get kicked, the trio went next door and are believed to have opened fire on Bell.

He suffered serious injuries in the shooting. Police said his condition improved overnight and he is in a moderate condition in hospital.

The number of shots heard being fired ranged from three to five, witnesses spoken to by the Herald said this morning.

One woman said she heard someone - who she later found out was Bell - shout "gun" as she and her family were about to go to bed.

"I heard them say there was a gun. Like, he screamed it."

Then there were gunshots.

She told her family, which includes young children, to "get down" as the shots rang out.

"We were all in the lounge and just getting ready for bed and then that happened. I was just telling my family to get down."

She looked outside and could see the lights of an older model car leaving but it returned and two more shots rang out.

The street remained deathly quiet until emergency services arrived.

She then looked out the window and saw the shooting victim walking down the street holding his arm with ambulance staff.

Bell was a nice guy and wasn't connected to a gang, the neighbour said.

"He comes in and out of jail but he's not in a gang. He probably mixes with the wrong people."

The Herald has approached police about the neighbour's claims.

Police responded to the incident on Derby St, in Nawton, Hamilton at 10.25pm last night after receiving reports a man had been shot.

Detective Sergeant Ian Foster said an investigation was under way to establish exactly what has occurred and inquiries were being made to find the offenders, who left the scene in a car.

A scene examination on Derby St will continue this morning. The street has been cordoned off from the public.

Other neighbours of the victim said they are planning on moving from the street as they no longer felt safe.

They had often had items stolen from outside their home and said the street was noisy, with vehicles speeding up and down the road.

They did not hear the shooting as they were asleep at the time, but heard noises around their house about 1am. She said her daughter was friends with a young girl who lived at the victim's house, who is believed to be his daughter.