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Teenager Killed By World War II Grenade He Bought From Antique Store

Teenager Killed By World War II Grenade He Bought From Antique Store

The grenade was thought to be inactive

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A teenager was killed days before Christmas after a World War II-era hand grenade exploded.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that the grenade is believed to have been purchased from Fancy Flea Antique Mall in Shallotte, North Carolina, in June 2020.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Just six months later, on 23 December, the hand grenade exploded and killed a Virginia teenager.

Authorities say that additional grenades were possibly sold from the same vendor over the summer and law enforcement is concerned the grenades purchased from the vendor may contain live explosives and could be hazardous to the public.

A statement from the ATF reads: "The grenades were thought to be 'inert' MK2 grenades, a style used during World War II. At the time of sale, neither the vendor nor buyer(s) believed the grenades to be functioning or hazardous.

"ATF is asking for anyone who visited Shallotte, near the Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach area, and purchased an 'inert' grenade from the Fancy Flea Antique Mall in June 2020 to contact the Charlotte Field Division at 704-716-1800 or the Washington Field Division at 202-648-8010.

"Information can also be provided to ATF by calling 1-800-ATF-TIPS (800-283-8477), or by email at [email protected], or through the ReportIt app.

In December 2020, a similar World War II grenade exploded in a kitchen in Deal, Kent.

Jodie didn't know it was a grenade until it exploded.
SWNS

Jodie Crews and eight-year-old Isabella stumbled across the explosive while walking along a beach near their home.

At first, the 38-year-old thought it was a fossil or an old bone, and appealed on social media to see if anyone could help.

She said: "I posted photos on fossil and archaeology sites and had lots of replies but no one suggested it could be a grenade.

"One woman thought it looked like whale vomit and said I could find out by poking it with a hot pin. She said a puff of white smoke would come out."

But Jodie soon found out that it was something much more sinister when the grenade suddenly burst into flames in her dining room.

She said: "It just turned into a fireball. My daughter screamed and ran out the back door. I grabbed the grenade and ran with it at arms' length into the kitchen where I hurled it into the sink. We just went into survival mode."

Featured Image Credit: Google Maps

Topics: News, US News