A report of shots fired triggered a massive police response on the weekend.
The incident happened Sunday at about 2 p.m. when Nanaimo RCMP responded to reports of shots being fired from an apartment building.
Callers told police they believed a weapon was being fired from a balcony of an apartment building at 1050 Terminal Ave.
Due to the nature of the call, numerous officers responded, including several armed with carbine rifles. The members quickly located the male suspects and determined the weapon was an airsoft rifle being used for target practice in the parking lot below.
The two men, age 20 and 21, were issued a bylaw ticket for discharging a firearm within the city limits and had the seriousness of their actions impressed upon them by the Mounties.
Officers did not seize the weapon after being satisfied there would not be a reoccurrence by the men who did not realize the significance of their actions and were extremely embarrassed and apologetic.