DICKINSON (AP) - Dickinson State University's May Hall was evacuated briefly and a 17-year-old boy was taken into custody after he came into the building carrying a toy gun, police said.

"(The juvenile) said it's a cap gun; I suppose that's what it is, it looks like it could be a cap gun," said Dickinson Police Department Lt. Rick Shirey, the investigating officer. "It looks real enough that in a real-life situation, an officer could certainly mistake this for a real gun and we could have tragedy."

Shirey said the teenager's actions were alarming enough that someone on campus called the department to report him Wednesday morning.

"He was openly displaying the gun and apparently he was pretending he was shooting at things," Shirey said. "Someone saw his actions and interpreted this to be potentially a situation with a gun where there could be some violence and called us, which is the right thing to do."

Shirey said the department evacuated the building as it searched for the suspect.

He said the teenager was apprehended on the third floor of May Hall about 15 minutes later.

"(I) didn't see any mal-intent on his part; it was pretty much a mistake all the way around, but still it caused quite the stir," Shirey said.

The incident will be referred to the juvenile authorities, Shirey said.

"Of course, it's a serious situation, and we'll treat it as such," Shirey said. "They were alarmed, so we'll have to treat it that way, and let him understand in this day and age, you don't stand around waving a gun, especially when you're 17 years old."