Reports of Man With Rifle on East De La Guerra Street

[UPDATE, 10:00 p.m.]: The man in the hospital gown taken into police custody Tuesday afternoon following the Taco Bell shooting incident has been released, said Harwood. Harwood again couldn’t confirm that the man is the victim of Monday’s stabbing, but said he was let go after being interviewed by detectives. Authorities continue to investigate Tuesday’s shooting and are still looking for suspects.

[UPDATE, 5:08 p.m.]: In a strange twist to the investigation of a man with a rifle on East De La Guerra Street, the victim in Monday’s gang-related stabbing — who suffered non-life threatening puncture wounds to his lower back and a contusion to his head during the East Gutierrez Street confrontation — has been taken into police custody for questioning in Tuesday’s incident. The victim, who hasn’t been publicly named by authorities, was wearing a hospital gown as he was led in handcuffs out of an apartment complex at 823 East De La Guerra and placed into a police cruiser. The victim had not been cooperating with detectives looking into Monday’s stabbing. It’s not clear how he’s involved in the shooting incident.

While police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood couldn’t confirm that the man in the hospital gown taken into custody has any connection to the Monday stabbing, he said officers responded to calls of a shot fired near the the Taco Bell at 821 North Milpas Street at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Interviews with witnesses, who said they saw a man holding a rifle flee the scene, led authorities to the nearby apartment complex where a swarm of heavily armed officers descended. Early reports indicate a blue hatchback car was somehow involved in the shooting. No one is believed to have been hurt in the incident.

[UPDATE, 4:33 p.m.]: Things appear under control about an hour and a half after emergency calls went out of a man with a rifle on East De La Guerra Street. While details surrounding the incident have not been publicly released, police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood said Santa Barbara High and Jr. High schools are no longer on lockdown and the area is secure. It’s unclear if anyone has been taken into custody. The investigation into the reports continues, he said.

[ORIGINAL REPORT]: Santa Barbara police officers are responding to reports of a man with a rifle on the 800 block of East De La Guerra Street. Nearby Santa Barbara High School and Santa Barbara Jr. High School have been put on lockdown as a precaution. Authorities are advising residents in the area to use caution and for commuters to avoid the area if possible.

The situation is currently unfolding, so check back for more details.