Were Gunshots Heard in Los Gatos Early Saturday Morning?

Los Gatos Patch reader Elizabeth A. Schildge posted on our boards' "speak out" section a question Saturday wondering if the loud bangs she had heard early that morning were gunshots being fired.

Schildge said at about 4 a.m. she and her son were awakened by what sounded like six gunshots near where they live at Loma Alta Way and Los Gatos Boulevard.

She wondered if anyone else had heard the loud noises. Two other readers left the following comments at the end of her post.

Cathi Clark wrote: "I heard them! I live closer to University (Avenue) and Highway 9 and heard a round of about five or six shots."

And jillmca wrote: "Yes, we heard them from the corner of Tait (Avenue) and Highway 9. Assumed they were some kind of fireworks."

Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police Sgt. spokesman Stephen Walpole said the department received a report of the sounds of “gunshots” at about 4:12 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 in the area of University Avenue and Los Gatos-Saratoga Road.

Officers responded to the area a few minutes later and determined it was fireworks, he said.

"The people firing off the fireworks were not located after a search of the area," Walpole said.

The sale, purchase, transport, storage or use of fireworks in Santa Clara County is unlawful—except for Gilroy where so-called "safe-and-sane" fireworks are allowed, according to police.

Illegal fireworks include sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other miscellaneous types that explode, go up in the air, or move about the ground in an uncontrollable fashion.