A box bought at an estate sale in Austin, Texas, turned into an unexpected public safety emergency this week after one shopper discovered World War II-era explosives among the items, police said.
Officers responded to a call Tuesday from a local resident who had discovered what appeared to be grenades dating back to the war among the contents of their estate haul, according to the Austin Police Association. A police bomb squad confirmed the grenades were live and active, meaning they contained explosive material and could potentially denotate.
Bomb squad technicians responded, took possession of the devices and removed them safely. The police association said officers quickly restricted access to the area, established a security perimeter and protected nearby residents while specialists handled the threat.
The association praised the bomb squad’s expertise and composure, noting that assessing and handling explosives roughly 80 years old—with their condition and stability unknown—requires highly precise work and exceptional professionalism.
Authorities used the incident to warn the public never to handle, move or inspect suspected military ordnance, even when an item looks harmless or inactive. Grenades, artillery shells and mortar rounds should be left exactly where they are, with trained professionals contacted to manage the situation.
The discovery of unexploded military ordnance in collections of old belongings is not unheard of. The FBI has reported that families of American veterans sometimes find dangerous wartime “souvenirs” among their possessions. Many of those items date to World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War or the Gulf War.
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A similar case occurred last year in central Washington, where a young boy found a live hand grenade on his family’s property. The device also dated to World War II. Authorities said the 3-year-old was not injured, and bomb technicians later transported and destroyed the grenade in a remote area outside the nearby town.
