Indiana man dies after grenade explodes found in loved one’s belongings: NPR

A grenade is displayed at Jimmy’s Sport Shop in Mineola, New York on September 25, 2020.

Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

A grenade is displayed at Jimmy’s Sport Shop in Mineola, New York on September 25, 2020.

Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

An Indiana man has died after a grenade exploded in a grandfather’s belongings.

According to a message from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to a blast call before 6:30 p.m. Saturday night in the Lakes of the Four Seasons community.

The family was rummaging through their grandfather’s belongings when they found the portable explosive device and it detonated.

“Someone allegedly pulled the pin from the device and it exploded,” Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in a statement.

Responders found an unresponsive adult male at the scene, and he was later pronounced dead.

The man’s two children – a 14-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman – were injured by shrapnel and taken to a nearby hospital.

The investigation is ongoing.

According to the FBI, some families have unexpectedly found explosive devices in the belongings of parents or grandparents who were military veterans. Some veterans brought back explosives as souvenirs from World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

Authorities say anyone who finds a grenade or other explosive device should walk away from the device and call 911 immediately.