No Man With Rifle Found Near Hwy 237, Say Police

A woman reported seeing a gunman along state Highway 237 in Mountain View late this morning, prompting an hours-long search and a warning at nearby schools, a police spokeswoman said.

"After an extensive search for 2.5 hours, no one was ever found related to the call of a man with a gun on 237 near 85," said Liz Wylie, spokewoman. "All schools have resumed normal activities."

At about 11 a.m., the California Highway Patrol received the call from the woman that she saw a man in an orange vest on the side of the highway "with what looked to be a rifle and he was pointing it at a car," Wylie said.

Police searched for the man and asked several nearby schools, including , , Building Kidz and , to keep children indoors, Wylie said.

The search came up empty, and no one else reported seeing the gunman, she said.

"It's possible that it was a duck hunter," Wylie said, noting that there are some areas near the Bay where duck hunting occurs.

However, she said, the area where the man was spotted is "not appropriate" for such activity.

She said investigators have no reason to doubt the woman's report, but that police were unable to find any evidence of a gunman.

Additional reporting by Bay City News.