Live WWII-era grenades found in box bought at estate sale

In Austin, Texas, an estate sale purchase turned into a potential public safety hazard when a patron's box of items was discovered to contain World War II-era explosives, police reported. Officers were alerted to the situation on Tuesday after a resident found what seemed to be grenades dating back to the war among the contents of their estate haul.

Upon further inspection, the police bomb squad confirmed that the grenades were indeed live and active, meaning they contained explosive material and posed a risk of detonation. The bomb squad swiftly seized and removed the devices, while police quickly secured the scene, set up a perimeter, and ensured the safety of nearby neighbors.

The police association commended the bomb squad for their expertise and steady nerves in handling the dangerous 80-year-old explosives with unknown stability. The situation serves as a reminder to avoid touching or moving military ordnance, such as grenades, shells, and mortar rounds, even if they appear to be inert. Anyone who comes across such a device should allow trained professionals to handle it.

Unexploded military ordnance in stockpiles of vintage belongings is not unheard of, with the FBI noting that some families of U.S. war veterans have discovered dangerous souvenirs in their loved ones' possessions. Most of these devices date back to World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the Gulf War. In a similar incident last year, a three-year-old boy discovered a live hand grenade originating from WWII on his family's property in central Washington. Authorities managed to remove and dispose of the device safely in a rural area outside the town.