Wem, England British Army EOD responded to a quiet market town to carry out a controlled explosion after ordnance was donated to a charity shop. A portion of the Wem, Shropshire town center was cordoned off after the 10-inch shell was discovered by staff in a bag of donations at the Severn Hospice store.
Tuscola, Michigan The Tuscola County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police (MSP) bomb squad responded to the home of a known felon after reports that the man living there was removing multiple firearms from the residence after a housefire.
Pleasanton, California The Pleasanton Police Department received a shocking delivery from a well-meaning citizen. According to police, that delivery was a box of containing grenades and some small arms that the shipper did not realize were live.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene to take custody of the three live grenades. "This isn't an April Fool's joke," Pleasanton police said in a social media post.
The public was reminded that if they have any potentially dangerous explosives, they should leave them in place and call the police department.
York, England The bomb squad was called to an auctioneer in a village near York after an antique hand grenade was handed in, according to police. An area of the Northminster Business Park in Upper Poppleton was cordoned off and nearby businesses were evacuated as EOD responded to remove the device.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the force confirmed that the grenade and "other items" were brought in to Wombell's Auctioneers. The statement said, "As a safety precaution, a cordon has been put in place and local businesses surrounding the premises have been evacuated. Officers are working with the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to ensure the safe disposal of the device."
Honolulu, Hawaii A .50 caliber anti-aircraft round was located by TSA in a checked bag at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, forcing the evacuation of a portion of the airport. An agency explosive specialist responded and reported the X-ray image of the item to airport law enforcement.
The item was safely removed from the area and all operations returned to normal, according to TSA. There was no information provided about who the munition belonged or whether any charges were filed against them.
Tamuning, Guam The Guam International Airport was partially evacuated after TSA agents found a suspicious item in a passenger's luggage. According to airport officials, the TSA baggage screening system detected a possible explosive device, forcing an evacuation of the west side of the airport.
U.S. Navy EOD responded where they located an encased an inert training device which was secured and removed from the scene. According to Airport Spokesperson Rolenda Faasuamalie, the passenger was neither law enforcement nor military. She reminded everyone that TSA prohibits any ammunition, replicas or suspected explosive devices to be transported in checked bags or on personal carry-on baggage.
While TSA routinely conducts drills to test officers on bomb detection by sending inspectors from other jurisdictions or by enlisting local passengers, a TSA source says this incident was not a drill, and that the matter is currently under investigation.
Kahului, Hawaii UXO forced students at the Lihikai School to have lunch and recess indoors as police responded to a nearby residence in Kahului for reports of an ordnance item in the garage.
According to police, the owner called police to remove the suspected explosive device. Roads in the area and nearby homes and classrooms at Lihikai were evacuated.
The Maui Police Department Special Response Team Bomb Squad responded and safely disarmed and removed the unidentified ordnance without incident. It will be turned over to the Army EOD for disposal.
Students and teachers who were in classrooms closest to the house with the UXO were relocated during the response and recess was held indoors to minimize movement on campus.
Pembrokeshire, Wales A couple who were unknowingly using a live bomb as a garden ornament were shocked when a police officer saw the munition and informed them that he needed to alert the Ministry of Defence.
The ordnance, which had been outside the home of Sian and Jeffrey Edwards since they moved in, is thought to date back to the late 19th century. The couple thought it was a "dummy" bomb and had no idea how dangerous it could have been. Sian Edwards even reported using it to bang her trowel on to remove dirt after gardening.
Garfield, New Jersey Collecting railroad memorabilia is a popular pastime for many and is typically a safe hobby, but not recently when a New Jersey man inadvertently purchased a box of explosives from a flea market.
According to police, the man bought a flare box in Burlington County, in South Jersey. The next day, when he realized "railroad torpedoes" were in the box, he called police. Police responded and evacuated 14 homes in the area.
Railroad torpedoes, otherwise known as railway detonators or track torpedoes, are small, wrapped explosives that were once put on tracks to warn train engineers to stop or slow down if there was an accident, fog, or another hazard ahead. The flares became largely unnecessary with widespread use of two-way radios.
Though small, they are designed to make a loud noise and are thus highly explosive. The Bergen County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad took control of the items without incident.
Zhongliao, Taiwan Changhua County Police were forced to evacuate their station after a man walked in with an unexploded bomb unearthed on a nearby worksite. According to reports, workers clearing a site for a landscape improvement project in Hemei Township dug up the military UXO, and since the worksite was just 20-meters away from the Zhongliao Police Station, the site supervisor decided to pick it up and bring it to the station.
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