- The Washington Times - Wednesday, May 1, 2024

A mortar and rocket-propelled grenade have been found in Forest Acres, South Carolina, near Fort Jackson, which trains around 50% of all U.S. soldiers.

The two pieces of explosive munitions were found in a shed on Sunday, the Forest Acres Police Department said in a post on Facebook Monday. Other unspecified evidence suggested that both rounds were manufactured in the 1950s.

Local police called the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad to handle the pieces. While the rocket-propelled grenade was inactive, the mortar round was possibly still active, Forest Acres police said.



Both pieces were disposed of by the county bomb squad. Police reiterated that residents should not move any explosives they find.

“These devices have been discovered in the greater Fort Jackson area for years by numerous citizens. If and when you discover one, we advise all citizens to assume that the explosive could be live and contact law enforcement immediately. Never, ever move one on your own. That’s not a risk worth taking,” FAPD Chief Don Robinson said in a statement.

Police continue to investigate how the explosives ended up in the shed, and no charges have been filed.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.

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