UC Santa Barbara Commuters Screwed by Masked Gunman

UC Santa Barbara Commuters Screwed by Masked Gunman

UC Santa Barbara commuters may be held up today on their drive to work as a masked gunman closes down Freeway 101. Around seven this morning, a man wearing a ski mask and fatigues began waving a flag while holding a gun on the overpass.


KSBY reports:

A masked man waving an American flag and holding a handgun Monday on a Highway 101 overpass shut down the freeway for hours just west of Santa Barbara.


Police Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte says the man, wearing a ski mask and brown fatigues, was waving an American flag with one hand and a handgun in the other when officers arrived on the La Cumbre Avenue overpass just after 7:10 a.m.


No shots were fired.


About two hours into the siege, police officers using a bullhorn made contact with the man. But the sergeant said no one knows who the man is or what he wants.


The freeway was shut down in both directions, backing up morning commuter traffic for several miles in each direction. The coastal highway was still closed two hours later.

Currently SWAT teams are involved and still no fires have been shot, though the area is closed off from use. This may be a day to play hooky and read up on the election before voting tomorrow.

 

UPDATE: The man has now surrendered.

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Comments

Anonymous
Nice picture, but it isn't a handgun! Obviously, not a picture of the person actual on the scene in SB. Posted 11/03/2008 1:44 PMReply
Anonymous
The person in this picture is not the gunman. The gunman is wearing desert fatigues and is now disarmed. The hold off is still taking place, however he is not holding a handgun as of right now. Posted 11/03/2008 1:59 PMReply
Anonymous
why would you bother using a stock photograph of random non associated masked gunman without posting proper photograph credits in the initial report? That's just poor journalism. Posted 11/03/2008 2:29 PMReply
Anonymous
Take the picture down if that's not the actual gunman!
--John Biggs
Posted 11/03/2008 2:46 PMReply
Anonymous
the LAist has a GREAT shot of the gunman and police http://laist.com/attachments/la_zach/santa_barbara_gunman_masked.jpg Posted 11/03/2008 2:49 PMReply
Anonymous
This is the typical anti-second amendment tripe the controlled media spews out on a daily basis.

Just catapulting their propaganda again!
Posted 11/03/2008 2:52 PMReply
Anonymous
Man, that overpass sure is overgrown with grass. No wonder it's such a rough ride every time I get off at the La Cumbre exit. Sheesh, Santa Barbara road crews...get to work already, will ya? Posted 11/03/2008 2:53 PMReply
Anonymous
good example of the new Yellow Journalism, this guy probably had a message, but we the public won't hear it. Posted 11/03/2008 2:56 PMReply
Anonymous
terrible journalism. and i can't even fathom why you guys were stupid enough to use that image. Posted 11/03/2008 2:59 PMReply
Anonymous
Excellent journalism. Posted 11/03/2008 3:20 PMReply
Anonymous
Stop using pictures of my dad on your website please Posted 11/03/2008 3:24 PMReply
Anonymous
Poor whiny Republican, getting his poor sport on early, with a handgun and a flag, LOL! Does anyone think that a man holding a gun and waving a flag could be anything besides a McCain supporter? LOL! Posted 11/03/2008 3:30 PMReply
Anonymous
actually, there is a picture of the gunman posting an obama biden campaign poster, check the LAist Posted 11/03/2008 3:32 PMReply
Anonymous
Is that a falconer's glove? Is he waiting for his Falcon to return with a dead mouse just to shoot it at the last second? Because that's just gay. Falconry just isn't respected enough in this country, and I blame Sarah Palin for that. Posted 11/03/2008 3:35 PMReply
Anonymous
flag was upside down, sort of looked like a woman not a man Posted 11/03/2008 3:43 PMReply
Anonymous
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gunman4-2008nov04,0,266690.story

"The man, 28-year-old Edward Van Tassel, first handed over his handgun to authorities and asked for a Barack Obama sign, which he posted on a chain-link fence on the overpass along with the flag he was holding, said Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte of the Santa Barbara Police Department."
Posted 11/03/2008 4:03 PMReply
Anonymous
am I the only one who didn't care one bit if this guy died? this started at 7:10 in the morning; had i been sgt., this feud would have ended at 7:13 am when i showed up and emptied a round into the culprit.

however, our american curiosity would have made traffic worse while we all slowed to a quick 15 mph to see the body on the side of the road.

i bet he was an absentee voter.
Posted 11/03/2008 4:09 PMReply
Anonymous
the gunman had a backwards "B" carved into his face. Posted 11/03/2008 4:10 PMReply
Anonymous
i've found no reports stating that the gunman had a backwards "B" on his face Posted 11/03/2008 4:47 PMReply
Anonymous
i've found no reports stating that the gunman had a backwards "B" on his face Posted 11/03/2008 4:47 PMReply
Anonymous
Am I too late Posted 11/06/2008 9:18 PMReply
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