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.