An employee of a thrift store in Janesville, Wisconsin discovered a live cluster bomblet and ammunition among donated items Friday morning, WKOW-TV reported.
The Dane County Bomb Squad responded to the incident, prompting an immediate evacuation of the store and the surrounding area, per the outlet. The bomb squad securely removed the explosive materials from the premises to later destroy them, according to WKOW-TV.
BREAKING UPDATE
Janesville police confirmed the suspicious device was a “live cluster bomblet.” Authorities are working to identify the person who included it in their Goodwill donation. https://t.co/WakaJKqMsG
— WKOW 27 News (@WKOW) October 27, 2023
“Employees quickly followed safety protocols by informing store and donation center management and safety teams who then evacuated the building out of precaution for shoppers, donors and employees,” Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin said in a statement to the outlet. (RELATED: Teen Allegedly Sent 7 Bomb Threats to Schools, Believed Minor Status Would Prevent Charges: Cops)
“The Janesville Police Department and Dane County Sherriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded to the incident and provided further community safety guidance. The store and donation center resumed operations for shopping and donating shortly after 1:30 p.m,” the organization added.
As of Saturday, the police were conducting investigations to identify the individual who donated the bomblet and ammunition.
Bomblets are smaller explosives contained within cluster bombs, utilized predominantly in military battles and can be deployed from planes or launched from the ground, according to the Associated Press.