Fort Totten Park, Washington, D.C. A National Park Service employee found two metal canisters in a mound of soil at Fort Totten Park, sparking a large emergency response and multiple road closures in the area. After several days of investigations, the items have been identified as WWI-era chemical weapons, similar to those found in the Spring Valley neighborhood several decades ago.
According to USACE spokesperson Cynthia Mitchell it is unclear whether or not the canisters were empty. They are currently being analyzed at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In a written statement she said, "We expect preliminary, unofficial results on contents this week, and final confirmation next week."
This is not the first time a WWI-era weapon was discovered in Fort Totten. In 2020, the National Park Service discovered another WWI-era metal canister on the ground in a different area of the park. The Park Service said the Defense Department determined that munition to be an "unfused and unused, empty canister" which had been modified for use as a chemical weapon.
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