A massive search was underway Wednesday for a gunman believed to be armed and dangerous who shot and injured two Newark police officers at an apartment building in the citys South Ward on Tuesday afternoon.

Both officers were in stable condition late Tuesday at University Hospital in Newark one was shot in the leg and the others neck was grazed before a bullet was lodged in his shoulder, officials said.

The alleged shooter identified by police as Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange escaped after the officers returned fire. He was still on the loose following an extensive search by local, state and federal authorities that partially shut down part of the states largest city Tuesday, officials said.

Howard is considered armed and dangerous and anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately, authorities said. He is about 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with brown eyes and tattoo on his neck that read FEATHER, officials said

Howard is charged with two counts of attempted murder and two weapons offenses, the Essex County Prosecutors Office said.

The incident began to unfold around 1 p.m. when a citizen called Newark police regarding a flier put out by the department concerning a shot fired on Friday, authorities said.15

2 Newark police officers shot by gunman, officials say (PHOTOS)

The caller reported seeing the person in the flier in an apartment building near the intersection of Van Velsor Place and Chancellor Avenue.

Two uniformed officers arrived at the building and spotted Howard, officials said.

They stopped him to talk to him and to identify him, and a violent interaction occurred, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens told reporters.

Terrence Howard is charged with attempted murder after shooting two Newark police officers on Tuesday. He is still being sought.Essex County Prosecutor's Office

After a brief altercation, Howard allegedly pulled a gun out and shot the two police officers at close range, authorities said.

Streets in the South Ward neighborhood were blocked off for hours and residents were ordered out of the building where the shooting took place. Schools in the area were briefly locked down, but were dismissed on time, officials said.

A massive police presence spurred confusion and conflicting initial reports, including that a rooftop gunman was firing multiple rounds into the street and hit officers. That turned out to be untrue.

In the incident on Friday that first prompted police to put out the flier, a man fired a gunshot into the air around 11 a.m. while walking east on the 100 block of Hansbury Avenue. Police searched the area and recovered one shell casing.

The man was wearing ripped blue jeans, white sneakers and a gray hooded sweatshirt with a BMW logo on the front. He carried a blue tote bag over his shoulder.

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NJ Advance Media staff writers S.P. Sullivan, Noah Cohen, Matt Stanmyre and Richard Cowen contributed to this report.