The armed offenders squad, police eagle helicopter, dozens of police and the ambulance service responded to reports of a man shooting at a house bus on the Coromandel Peninsula yesterday.
Police last night were continuing to look for the man.
Police were alerted the domestic violence incident at a property near the Kopu-Hikuai Rd (State Highway 26A) at 2.10pm.
"A number of shots" were allegedly fired by a man at a house bus, police said.
The man had not been located by 6pm and police lifted the cordons that had been blocking the road, which connects the eastern Hauraki Plains area with the eastern Coromandel Peninsula.
A Kopu resident said at least 12 police cars had driven past her home yesterday, while a Hikuai resident said he'd gone to get his mail to find road blocks and police armed with rifles.
"There were a couple of cars and police with guns. It must be serious," he said.
Police told the man to go home and stay inside.
The principal of Hikuai School said only one child's trip home was affected by the road closure.
Traffic was diverted through Paeroa and Waihi via the Karangahake Gorge while cordons were in place at intersections between SH25A and SH26 in Kopu, and SH25A intersection with SH25, near Hikutaia.