A man suspected of driving a car into a crowd in Hollywood early Saturday and injuring 30 people is in custody, a Los Angeles Police Department official said.

"He was transported to the hospital, he's undergoing surgery, he is in stable condition. However, he is not free to leave, he is in the custody of Los Angeles Police Department, and we're looking at charges such as attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon at this point," Lillian Carranza told broadcaster CBS.

The driver was pulled out of the car by the crowd and attacked in the chaos that followed the car ramming, which occurred around 2 a.m., according to police.

Authorities are searching for a gunman who shot and wounded the driver before fleeing on foot.

Footage posted on social media showed panicked people running outside the club and victims sprawled on a blood-stained sidewalk, while others sobbed nearby.

The driver of the car, reportedly a Nissan Versa sedan, was pulled from the vehicle by the crowd, handcuffed and brutally beaten, a video on social media showed.

"When officers arrived, they found the driver being assaulted by bystanders and determined he had sustained a gunshot wound," a police statement said.

More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene in East Hollywood.

"We have 30 victims: 18 females and 12 males between the ages of mid-20s to early 30s," Carranza said.

Seven were in critical condition and six in serious condition, authorities said. Ten suffered minor injuries while seven left the hospital against medical advice.

'Heartbreaking tragedy'

Many clubgoers were outside when the car plowed into the crowd, a taco truck and a valet stand.

"They were all standing in line going into a nightclub. There was a taco cart out there, so they were ... getting some food, waiting to go in. And there's also a valet line there," Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Adam Van Gerpen told ABC News.

"The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle."

At dawn on Saturday, a tow truck hauled away the car with its bumper torn off. Club employees power-washed the sidewalk outside The Vermont Hollywood, which had been hosting a reggae and hip-hop event.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the incident "a heartbreaking tragedy".

"The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning – a full investigation into what happened is underway," she said in a statement.

The Vermont Hollywood club said on social media it was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident."

The area is near Hollywood landmarks, including Sunset Boulevard and the Walk of Fame – a sidewalk emblazoned with stars commemorating movie industry figures.

(With input from AFP)