A suspected gunman barricaded into a home in a neighborhood in St. Michael, Minnesota. The standoff between authorities and the suspected shooter, which began Tuesday evening has stretched into Wednesday morning, according to local media.

Witnesses called 911 after someone began shooting near a local elementary school. The shooter later barricaded himself in a house. 

Police shut down several blocks in every direction while they negotiated with the shooter. The demands of the gunman were not known at the time.

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Authorities from multiple agencies arrived at Gutzwiller Park, about a mile away from the standoff scene.

Witnesses told local media that they heard bangs they believe were more gunshots. Police were trying to talk the person down over a loudspeaker.

“Especially in a town like St. Michael, you think of it as something safe and then you come home and you see vehicles that you only see on TV shows and in the movies rolling out behind your house and Into the parking lot,” resident Thomas Kammann said.

Police said there is no immediate threat to the public.

It remains unclear if anyone was injured in the incident. The motive behind the shooting is also not known.

The latest incident comes amid a string of shooting incidents in the United States with the deadliest in Texas where a gunman opened fire inside a school. Twenty-one people, including 19 children, lost their lives in the incident.

The incident not only reignited the gun debate in the US, but also sparked concerns over the police response.

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When Salvador Ramos broke into the school and barricaded himself inside a classroom, police took more than an hour to break open the door.

While the police officer heading the operation claimed the delay was based on his attempts to find keys to unlock the classroom door, experts believe that a quick action could have reduced the number of casualties. A report also claimed that the police officers in Uvalde were armed with rifles and a ballistic shield when they entered the Robb Elementary School 19 minutes after the gunman.