"Officers observed a rifle in a trunk of a car," Chaney said. "It turned out to be an aerosol rifle, not a real rifle. It's like a BB gun."
The people taken in for questioning were planning to attend the ceremony, Chaney said.
The area where the incident took place was not where stars were dropped off by limousine, but rather where media and other attendees entered.
"The LAPD made everyone en masse get out of the cars and walk to the curb while they searched the area," said Terry Stanley, a reporter with The Hollywood Reporter. "It was at least 10 minutes and we saw two big bomb squad trucks go by. Things were obviously taken very seriously."
No one was injured and the show went on as scheduled.