Five men wearing balaclavas were stopped by police Tuesday night in Kaiserslautern. The officers found a blank firing gun and ammunition during a search of the men's car. (Jochen Tack/Mettman police)

Five men young men wearing balaclavas on Tuesday spooked residents along Alex-Mueller-Strasse enough to draw police to the scene for questioning.

Bank-robber chic isn’t in itself illegal; the five men, aged 20-22, were going to a Fasching event in the city center “and the balaclavas were part of their costume,” Kaiserslautern police said in a statement.

Fasching is an annual event similar to Carnival festivities throughout the world held at the close of the pre-Lenten period. Parades and dressing up are common.

One of the men wanted to quickly show his companions the university area in Kaiserslautern, so they walked around at least partially costumed.

However, police suspicion led to a search of the car. Under the seat was a “blank gun with ammunition,” the police statement said.

Gun ownership is allowed in Germany but highly regulated. The owner now will face charges for violating the country’s Weapons Act, police said.