A report of "suspicious activity" from a retired officer caused what police say was likely a false alarm.
It clogged Staten Island traffic and put a nearby Coast Guard station on lockdown.
The roadways are back to normal now and Fort Wadsworth got an "all clear."
It started when the former police officer sent in photos of what appeared to be a man and a woman pointing guns into the windows of two cars in a parking lot near Midland Beach, but after speaking with the owner of one of the vehicles, police say they were likely paintball guns.
Still, the incident snarled a bunch of the major roads and bridges on Staten Island—just ahead of rush hour.
In fact, Borough President James Oddo urged people to stay off the roads at one point.
"I only live about three minutes away from here, and I'm pretty terrified to get out of this parking lot and get onto the street, just because I've heard a lot of honking so far, umm, and everyone is in a mood, because of course it's Friday afternoon and just like you said, the ripple effect of whatever's going on, it's frustrating," Oddo said. "It was crazy getting through on the Staten Island Expressway. I was caught in traffic for like 30 minutes. The ride normally takes 10, 15."
Officials say the investigation is ongoing.