A Vancouver teen received a stern lesson from Sunshine Coast RCMP Tuesday afternoon after he was arrested for carrying a replica hand gun.

Around 4:45 p.m. Aug. 28, RCMP received a report of a man playing with a handgun at the Flume Road bus stop in Roberts Creek.

“The witness reported seeing the young man get on the bus, which was headed towards Gibsons,” said Cpl. Steve Chubey. “Police located the bus and followed it to Marine Drive in Gibsons, where a young man matching the description got off.”

RCMP cordoned off the area and the 17-year-old Vancouver male was arrested by plain-clothes officers without incident, Chubey said.

“A search revealed an air soft gun in the jacket pocket of the youth. The gun was seized and the youth was released without charge after a stern warning from police,” Chubey added.

Chubey said this incident serves as a warning to anyone carrying replica weapons.

“Someone from the public saw a weapon and we’re required to formulate a response based on that information,” he said. “We don’t know what the situation is. All we know is that it was a report of a weapon. This is scary for everyone involved. If it was an actual gun, who knows what could have happened. There are serious consequences in cases such as this.”