Police said a live artillery shell was left at a Goodwill Industries facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday.
Authorities were notified when an employee at the facility spotted the device. The employee, who is former military, quickly recognized that the device was military-issued ordinance.
A bomb disposal team from the 71st Ordinance Group, located at nearby Ft. Carson was called out to remove the device. The device was identified as a Korean War Era 120mm anti-tank/anti-aircraft round. The round, which contained high explosives, was still intact with the detonator attached.
Police secured a large perimeter around the facility, closing streets and prompting the evacuation of businesses and several nearby homes. The bomb disposal team removed the device from the facility without incident.
According to police, someone dropped the round off at a Goodwill donation point located at S. Circle Drive. Employees then unknowingly transported the live ordinance through the city for about seven miles to the processing facility on W. Colorado Ave. At the processing facility, staff members were sorting through items and preparing them to be sent to outlets when the shell was found.
This incident occurs on the heels of another incident involving explosives found in the city this week, when a hiker found live blasting caps along a trail in a local park. Police determined that the blasting caps had been in the park for some time due to their condition.
Authorities have not yet determined if the artillery round was inadvertently or intentionally left at the donation point and have not made any arrests in either incident. Both investigations are ongoing.
