The sight of a man in a ski mask and armed with a rifle on the streets of Marrickville on Friday afternoon was enough to cause several terrified onlookers to call police.
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Within minutes, the Riot Squad had descended on Faversham Street, a small industrial street that is home to factory units, hip hop record label Elefant Traks, the Red Rattler theatre and a bowling club.
However, they discovered a band filming a music video clip with its main star holding an air rifle.
The gun wasn't authorised and the men were not allowed to use it in public, police said.
On Monday, police said they had charged two men, aged 41 and 38, with possessing an unregistered firearm in a public place without authorisation.
Caitlin McGregor, publicist for the record label, said it was the most terrifying moment of her life.
She was sitting at a window seat in the record label's office when she saw the masked man with a rifle on his shoulder swiftly turn a corner and walk towards their building.
She couldn't see the film crew who were further behind the man.
"My instant thought was, 'He's heading somewhere to kill people,' " she said. "Especially with the Orlando shooting happening, something that I was extremely traumatised by, it was really scary."
She ran down into a warehouse behind their office and hid, shaking.
"I texted some work friends to find out where they were, they had all gone out to lunch and I was the only one there," she said.
"They told me to hide in the office, lock all the doors and call the cops."
The police arrived before she hung up the phone because several others had already called.
Public Order and Riot Squad officers questioned the group at the scene then took them to Newtown police station.
About an hour after the ordeal, Ms McGregor said she went into shock and broke down in tears.
"I don't ever want to feel like that again," she said. "The least they could have done was just tell people in the area they were going to shoot a video clip."
Hip hop artist Urthboy, who owns Elefant Traks, tweeted that the man was "scaring the crap outta anyone nearby".
Just recd sms from female work colleague saying there's a guy in our car park w a rifle in a ski-mask! After initial panic, and 5 cop cars..— Urthboy (@urthboy) June 17, 2016
except just discovered the rifle was real smh— Urthboy (@urthboy) June 17, 2016
The two men were granted conditional bail and are due to appear at Newtown Local Court on July 12.
