You're probably right. News media tends to do that in general. However, it's easy to view a false alarm as "overblown" until something bad happens, then it's a could've should've would've hindsight blame game. As for comparing them to potc guns, we expect to see faux weapons in attractions, but we don't expect to find them abandoned in trash cans in heavily populated areas. A simple unmarked package is enough to raise safety concerns and the need to call out the bomb squad. So I can imagine the surprise and concern someone would have when they find exposed grenades that are designed to inflict harm much different from that of a gun or knife. That would have been enough to frighten me, that's for sure.
