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MACOMB, ILL. -- Some Macomb residents had quite the scare Wednesday night after a 911 report came in indicating that someone had a firearm in a residence in the 500 block of West Murray Street.

Macomb Police Chief Curtis Barker said police concluded that the 911 call was a prank phone call.

Western Illinois University students are speaking out about the five-hour scare.

The police called off the threat of a gunman around midnight.

Neighbors were evacuated from their homes and a section of Murray Street was blocked for several hours.

Students say they were confused about why it took so long to figure out it was a hoax.

"I was just disappointed in the human race. Let's just say that," WIU student Amanda Rogalske said.

"I was upset that it took the police five hours to find that out. I know they are trying to be careful and that, but ... five hours?" another student, A.J. Swenson said.

After repeated phone calls and knocks at the door, the Illinois State Police Tactical Response team sent a robot into the home. It turns out no one was present in the residence.

Chief Barker says they are still looking into who made the prank phone call.

Barker says the punishment will be a class 4 felony for disorderly conduct.

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