World · East Asia & Pacific · 3 hrs ago
Six World War II-era grenades found in a box bought at an Austin estate sale
A resident of Austin, Texas, found six grenades while sorting through boxes bought at an estate sale, where household belongings are sold.
The grenades were believed to date from World War II, about 80 years ago.
Police bomb technicians used X-rays and found they were real explosives, not models or deactivated items.
Officers kept people away while specialists safely removed the grenades.
Police said they posed no immediate danger when found, but their age made their stability uncertain.
Police found no sign of a crime and said they would not investigate further; they advised people to avoid touching old ammunition and to report it.
A resident in Austin, Texas, found six World War II-era grenades in boxes bought at an estate sale.
Police found the grenades were real and capable of exploding after an X-ray examination.
Officers secured the area and an explosives team safely removed the grenades.
Police said the grenades did not pose an immediate danger when found, but their age made their stability uncertain.
Authorities said they found no evidence of a crime and were not investigating the incident.
- Who
- An Austin resident found the grenades. Austin police and an explosives team responded.
- What
- Six grenades thought to date from World War II were found in boxes from an estate sale and safely removed.
- When
- Police responded on October 12, according to Yonhap News TV. Reports were published on October 15 and October 19, 2026.
- Where
- Austin, Texas, United States.
- Why
- The resident found the grenades while sorting through boxes bought at an estate sale. How they came to be in the boxes is not known.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Austin police responded after a resident reported finding old grenades while sorting through estate-sale boxes.
UPI reported the incident, according to Yonhap News TV.
Yonhap News TV published its report on the discovery.
MoneyToday and Sisa Magazine published reports about the incident.
- Grenades found
- 6
- Location
- Austin, Texas
- Source of boxes
- Estate sale
- Estimated age
- About 80 years
- Condition
- X-ray examination indicated the grenades could explode
- Police response
- Explosives team safely removed the grenades
3 sources
What people are saying
Handling 80-year-old explosives whose stability is unknown is dangerous and requires precision
An 80-year-old explosive cannot be assumed to be stable, so handling it is dangerous and requires precision
It is not something commonly seen at a secondhand sale