HARVEY COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities offered an explanation on why they stopped a school bus Thursday in Newton.

On Thursday afternoon, police responded to report of a student with a gun on a school bus in Newton, according to a social media report.

Officers “responded rapidly to ensure the safety of children on board”  and stopped the bus in the 300 block of East 1st Street.

As they arrived, officers learned the gun was a toy and immediately began “de-escalating the situation.”

The young student who brought the toy onto the bus was given a ride to the nearby district office where the child’s mother could respond to take the child home.

Police reminded that “While this may have been a freighting situation for everyone on board the bus, we take threats to the safety of our community’s children seriously and will respond in a rapid and professional manner.”

 

Police released no additional details. The school did not release information on the incident.