Students and staff at a southeast London high school were temporarily told to stay indoors after a teen armed with what was believed to be a gun was spotted nearby.
London police responded to the incident near Sir Wilfrid Laurier secondary school on Millbank Drive just before 8 a.m. on Friday.
Officers arrived on scene to find a 16-year-old, who was not on school property but was nearby. They seized a replica handgun.
No threats were made and no one was injured.
Police used the incident as an opportunity to warn the public about the dangers of replica firearms.
"They appear to be real to both members of the public and the police. When brandished as if real, or even merely seen in public, replica firearms cause fear in the community often resulting in calls to the police," police said in a statement. "Officers must respond assuming they are real, which increases risk to the person in possession of the replica firearm, the police, and members of the public."
Police added that the investigation into Friday's incident is ongoing.
