CHAMPAIGN — An incident that sparked a second soft lockdown in as many days Thursday at a northeast Champaign elementary school and a police pursuit of a high-speed vehicle ended with the arrest of three people and the seizure of three firearms in illegal possession.

Champaign police said that around 3:05 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle in the 2000 block of North Market Street after observing an armed individual go inside.

The vehicle sped off after being stopped, authorities said, leading officers to pursue it until it stopped again — this time in the 1000 block of North Sixth Street — in due to a reported mechanical failure.

Police said that’s when the vehicle’s four occupants got out and fled.

Three were apprehended after several local law enforcement agencies joined Champaign police in the search. Arrested were William Laws, 25, and Trevoy Fonville, 28, both of Champaign, and Anthony Wilkins, 29, of Rantoul.

Champaign police were assisted in the investigation by officers from the Urbana Police Department and the University of Illinois as well as deputies from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Due to its proximity to the incident, the Booker T. Washington STEM Academy was placed on soft lockdown, the second day in a row that nearby police activity led Unit 4 officials to initiate the shutdown of school.

Thursday’s moderate lockdown ended at 3:55 p.m., but “dismissal was delayed until we received clearance from CPD,” district spokeswoman Stacey Moore said.

The investigation is ongoing, according to Champaign police, who continued to canvas the area for witnesses and video footage.

Any resident or business with exterior surveillance camera systems is asked to notify police at 217-351-4545. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477 or 373tips.com or via the free “P3 Tips” mobile application.