It should have been a normal back-to-school Tuesday after a holiday weekend. But it wasn't.

Local, county and state police converged on Tamaqua within minutes following what was reported as gunfire at 8:15 a.m. with one or two masked people, an incident that presumably meant possibly two active shooters were on the loose.

Public safety was a priority. Schools were immediately placed on lock down. "Procedures were put in place to restrict access to and from the buildings in order to provide the safest environment possible," Superintendent Raymond J. Kinder said.

The development sent shock waves reverberating through the community and on social media.

Officer Karl Harig of Ryan Township police alerted as many businesses as possible. Many locked their doors.

"You don't know if they'd take hostages," Harig said.

"We didn't know what was happening but we locked the door right away," said a representative at M & T Bank at the Five Points intersection.

On the sidewalks, most pedestrians didn't know what was going on. A few went about their business.

"I just came here to buy one of those flapper things for the toilet," said shopper Joe Schubert of Downington, visiting in Rush Township.

Schubert was met by two different signs at the front door of M & S Hardware. One sign said "Open" even through the doors were locked.

Scrawled on a yellow piece of paper attached to the glass was a second sign: "We are on lock down."

Police cars raced through downtown and streets of the South Ward.

Eventually, the patrols slowed and the flurry of activity seemed to die down.

"We searched for 90 minutes," reported Officer Doug Springer of Tamaqua police. Springer said the police search included the Wabash Creek tunnel, a dark, mostly hidden cavern that winds 3/4 of a mile beneath the town.

Shoppers, pedestrians and worried parents shared a feeling of despair and tension.

Some took to social media to express frustration or ask questions.

"It's ridiculous. The incident was happening as kids were waiting for school buses this morning," commented Jennifer Paisley.

Paul Corinchock of Tamaqua arrived downtown to go shopping, exiting his car at South Railroad Street, only to find stores closed.

"I didn't realize anything was happening. Makes me want to go back home for my gun," said Corinchock, licensed to carry a weapon.

Marjorie Smith of Newark was visiting friends in Barnesville and drove into town for breakfast.

"I had no idea what was going on," she said. "But this stuff is now happening in small towns, too ... doesn't matter where you live."

The suspect was reported to be last seen near an embankment off Mahanoy and Cherry streets, an area leading to the rear of Tamaqua Public Library on South Railroad Street.

Police set up a command post in that location, and at one point, members of the news media were asked to leave the area.

"This is a hotspot," said a uniformed officer.