John Stewart Elementary School went into a panic when it was heard that three teenagers near the school appeared to have guns.

“The school went into lock down from 3:35 to 4:45, and the students had already been dismissed for the day,” John Stewart’s Principal Laura Garland said.

The teenagers were spotted two blocks south from the school by a bus driver.

“Even though the teens only had toy guns, the driver had every reason to take the precautions that they took,” Kaneland District School Superintendant Dr. Schuler said.

Two of the them had airsoft pistol guns and one had on a dark blue utility vest that resembled body armor.

“Nobody was ever in danger. They looked like real guns. They are made to look like real guns,”  Elburn Police Chief Smith said.

The three teens were taken into custody that afternoon. They weren’t pressed with any charges and their parents came to the police station to release them shortly after they were brought in.

According to Schuler, the situation was handled very well and calmly. Everything was explained to the students parents that their was no threat and it was nothing more than a false alarm. The parents were all notified via mass email. He also explained that no new laws would need to be passed to avoid this happening again.

“The media will let people know not to do it again. I’m thankful for all the efforts the staff took to ensure kids were safe,” Dr. Schuler said.