German police arrested two teenagers and seized a pair of "apparent toy weapons" on Wednesday after evacuating a high school in Hamburg over a security threat.
Authorities had said earlier that two people, "possibly youths", had pulled out a firearm in the school before "leaving the premises in an unknown direction".
Special forces had searched the school grounds and accompanied students and teachers out.
At around 2:50 pm (1250 GMT), police were called to another street about five kilometres away from the school over a "threat" that eventually led them to arrest four teens -- two 12-year-olds, a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old.
"It later emerged that one of the 12-year-olds and the 13-year-old could also be responsible for the crime" at the school, said police, adding that officers also "seized two apparent toy weapons".
German media including Bild daily had earlier reported that two students threatened a teacher with a pistol in class.
The scare had led to a huge deployment of heavily armed police in the area, which was also blocked off.
Parents were asked to head to a nearby barracks where the students were taken.