A Goodwill donation of a live cluster bomblet and ammunition frightened community members in Janesville, Wisconsin, on Friday.
Police are looking for the person responsible for the donation, UPI reported Sunday. The outlet noted the store and other businesses in the area were evacuated.
A Goodwill worker came upon the items while sorting donations, and the “Dane County Sherrif’s Office bomb technicians collected the device and ammunition to be destroyed,” the UPI article said.
An image shows staffers standing outside in a parking lot after the discovery was made:
'Cluster bomblet' Goodwill donation prompts bomb scare, evacuations https://t.co/Hh7HLDSCPJ
— DSP (@DonnaPence5) October 29, 2023
WKOW shared police scanner audio of officials talking about the incident.
“We just met with PD. We’ll be staging north side of the mall,” one official said in the clip. The outlet reported authorities said the bomb appeared to be military-grade.
However, “They do believe it was donated by mistake along with other personal items,” a reporter for WKOW said:
According to Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, workers reportedly followed safety protocols by immediately informing leadership and exiting the building when the incident occurred.
The organization also said local police and the sheriff’s 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.”
Janesville Police Department Sgt. Benjamin Thompson told WTVO, “The initial investigation revealed it looks like somebody had accidentally turned in some ammunition and some type of explosive device with their donated goods.”
“Following with our protocol, we notified the Dane County Bomb Squad, who is our responding bomb squad, and they’re investigating further,” he added:
WKOW shared video footage of the area after things returned to normal. The outlet also shared images of officials during the initial investigation:
According to UPI, law enforcement authorities were grateful that the Goodwill workers and those at the businesses nearby cooperated and did not have a problem waiting during the evacuation process.
