Texas man finds live World War II grenades in box he bought at estate sale, prompting bomb squad response

That’s an explosive find.A Texas man found live World War II-era grenades inside a box he bought at an estate sale, prompting police to send in the bomb squad.The Austin Police Department said it got the “unusual call” Monday after the man was rummaging through boxes he had bought and noticed one contained the handheld explosives.“Our patrol officers, who quickly secured the scene, set up a perimeter, and kept neighbors safe while they waited for EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal],” the department wrote on Instagram.The bomb squad confirmed the grenades were “live and active.”A photo shared by police shows at least three loose US Mk 2 fragmentation grenades in the box, known as “pineapples” because of their shape and grooved cast-iron bodies.The Mk 2 was the US military’s standard-issue fragmentation grenade from World War II through the Korean War and into the Vietnam War.The box also appeared to hold shipping tubes and containers, including one marked for an M21 practice grenade.The bomb squad safely removed the devices, police said.An Austin Police Department spokesperson told Chron that six grenades were recovered in all, each appearing to date to World War II and in good condition for its age.“Bomb Squad personnel assessed the devices, including X-ray examination.Based on their interpretation of the X-ray images, the grenades appeared to be live and were treated accordingly,” the spokesperson told the outlet.The department said the bomb squad “subsequently conducted render-safe procedures to eliminate any potential hazards,” and that there is no ongoing investigation.“A big shoutout to our APD Bomb Squad.

These officers bring a level of training, expertise, and steady nerves that most people never see,” the department wrote on Instagram.“Handling 80-year-old explosives with unknown stability is dangerous, precise work, and they do it with the professionalism this city counts on.”Police noted that “no crime” was committed ...