An unexpected discovery in a Ross County garage prompted a bomb squad response over the weekend after a homeowner reported finding what appeared to be a military grenade.
According to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Jake Champion was dispatched to a residence on State Route 772 at approximately 8:33 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, after a homeowner, reported locating a possible explosive device.
She told authorities she had been cleaning out her garage when she discovered a black cylindrical container. Upon opening it, she found what she believed to be an old military grenade. She immediately placed it back inside the container and contacted law enforcement.
She explained that her late husband had served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and Military Intelligence Officer, retiring in 1967. She believed the device may have been kept from his time in the military.
For safety reasons, Sgt. Champion did not open the container. Instead, he contacted the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, which dispatched a team to assess the situation.
Upon arrival, the bomb squad safely removed the device and determined it to be a smoke grenade, not a live fragmentation grenade as originally feared. The team confirmed the item posed no immediate threat and said it would be destroyed during a scheduled ordinance disposal event next month.
No injuries were reported, and the scene was cleared without incident.
