Police said that "significant disorder" in the Ardoyne area was continuing sporadically into the early hours of Friday morning.
No-one was injured as a result of the shooting which happened at Brompton Park at 12.30am.
"Police and community representatives are continuing their efforts to restore order", a PSNI spokesperson said.
Earlier a large number of petrol bombs were thrown at police after trouble flared following a token Orange Order parade past the Ardoyne shopfronts.
Nine officers have already been hurt after hours of rioting, during which six baton rounds were fired.
None of the officers' injuries are said to be life-threatening.
"Two arrests have been made at this stage although this number is expected to rise in the coming days as police continue with their evidence gathering operation," police said in a statement.
"I am urging all individuals and communities affected to respond to developing events in a calm and responsible manner," Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said.
"Violence has serious and unwanted consequences for us all and we will robustly investigate all incidents of disorder."
Water cannons have been used in a bid to quell the trouble, while missiles - including petrol bombs, bricks, fireworks and golf balls - have been thrown by both nationalist and loyalist protesters and three cars were hijacked.
Two of the vehicles, including a silver BMW, were set alight and pushed towards police lines.
A return parade was held by a small number of Orangemen on Thursday afternoon and was said by police to have passed by peacefully and "in accordance with the Parades Commission determination".
But a group of mainly nationalist youths ignored a series of verbal warnings from riot officers, prompting the water cannons to be put into action.
Police say all parades and protests have ended, but have asked people to avoid the Ardoyne area while officers work with community representatives to restore calm.
"Police would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the positive efforts of all those parading, protesting and marshalling today," Assistant Chief Constable Kerr added.
The violence intensified after police allowed a nationalist residents' group, the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC), to hold its protest march along the Crumlin Road and past the Ardoyne shops.
Earlier, for safety reasons, the parade had not been allowed to take place.
Around 1,500 people gathered during the GARC demonstration, as the loyalist Twaddell and Woodvale residents held a counter-protest.
Missiles were hurled at officers by loyalists during the standoff.
Earlier the Orange Order said their token parade was a 'peaceful solution' to the restrictions imposed on them by the Parades Commission.
Only a few members made the return journey from the afternoon service, while the rest of the three Ligoniel lodges dispersed from Barnett's Park to make their own way towards their Orange halls.
Orange Order chaplain Reverend Mervyn Gibson said it wasn't an easy decision to make, but added: "For the greater good of that area, for the greater good of Belfast in general, it was the right decision."
He also hit at out the Parades Commission determination, which he said was "designed to do two things - to stop forever Orange feet on a shared main arterial route and to set a trap that would see this Orange Institution blamed for any violence that ensued".
On Thursday morning, minor trouble flared as the outward Orange parade made its way past Twaddell Avenue.
A small number of nationalist residents clashed with police, while loyalist supporters also shouted at the protesters. However, the event was largely peaceful.
Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said: "While the lodges and the bands stuck to their (Parades Commission) determination, there was a substantial number of supporters who started shouting abuse at the protesters and it got a bit hairy.
"But we're through it - it has been a lot worse in the past."
Reports of a suspect device left in the Oldpark/Rosapenna area of north Belfast were made to police earlier, but nothing untoward has been found during extensive searches.
Police are urging people to remain vigilant and to contact officers rather than approaching or touching anything suspicious.