While May 4 was a day of celebration for countless ‘Star Wars’ fans, not everyone was feeling the power of the Force on Thursday.
A student wearing a Stormtrooper costume sparked the evacuation of a Wisconsin high school — after a frightened parent thought the boy was an active shooter, decked out in body armor.
“I went outside and saw everybody running and it was just crazy,” recalled Chase Coleman, a junior at Ashwaubenon High School in Green Bay.
“We saw a student in a costume and I didn’t think anything of it,” he told FOX 11. “He was walking down the sidewalk toward the school.”
In fear for her child’s life — and not knowing that May 4 is known as “Star Wars Day” — police officials said a parent spotted the boy on Thursday morning and called 911 for help.
“That outfit actually looked like that he might be wearing a bullet proof vest or a flack jacket and that coupled with wearing that mask and walking into the back door of the school, made a person very concerned,” explained Capt. Jody Crocker, of Ashwaubenon Public Safety.
Authorities initially deemed the student a possible threat and placed the school on lockdown.
After an extensive search, officers found the kid in question and gave the all-clear — saying he was simply trying to show off his Star Wars pride.
“It was an innocent mistake,” a police official said at a press conference. “Apparently it’s ‘may the force be with you’ day today.”
May 4 is ultimately a play on the movie’s popular phrase, “May the Force be with you,” and is celebrated by people across the globe. School officials said the incident would likely lead to restrictions on what students can and cannot wear next year.
“We’ll make it a learning lesson,” Ashwaubenon principal Brian Nelsen told FOX. “I’ll be meeting with the students to re-emphasize that, ‘hey, we have to keep each other safe.'”