The two teenagers who left the high school on May 20 in handcuffs may have been trying to pull a prank by bringing a toy gun into the building, but police officers and school officials aren’t laughing.

Authorities are not releasing the names of the two male juveniles, ages 15 and 16, but both have been charged with causing a false public alarm and disorderly conduct after another student spotted a plastic western cap gun on a hallway floor and reported it as a live handgun to school officials at about 10:57 a.m.

According to police, by the time the student returned with a school official, the silver gun had disappeared, leaving authorities concerned that a weapon could be circulating among the student body.

Officers located the cap gun tucked between several books inside the locker of one of the students apprehended shortly before 1 p.m., but not before officials put the high school into lockdown – effectively closing off movement in the building – for roughly two hours while authorities conducted a search, according to Lt. Gary Fisher.

While officers were waiting for a search warrant from the Salem District Court authorizing them to begin searching students and containers inside the building, administrators made an announcement asking for anyone with information to come forward. At that time, several students who knew about the toy gun and the two suspects approached the authorities, Fisher said.

According to police, neither of the suspects turned themselves over to the authorities, but school officials said that the student who had stored the toy gun in his locker came forward to administrators before officers took him into custody.

Police believe the pair worked together, with one bringing the cap gun into the school and later storing it in the second student’s locker.