FOREST ACRES, S.C. — Officers from the Forest Acres Police Department (FAPD) were called to the scene in the 1400 block of Idalia Drive Sunday afternoon after a report of possible explosive devices found in a shed on the property.
Arriving at the scene around 4:30 p.m. April 28, officers found one rocket-propelled grenade (an anti-tank munition) and a mortar round, dating from around the 1950s.
FAPD notified Richland County Sheriff's Department (RCSD) Bomb Squad of the situation and requested assistance in removing the devices. RCSD Bomb Squad determined the grenade was inactive but the mortar was considered to possibly be active. Both devices were removed without incident by the Bomb Squad for destruction.
The city of Forest Acres is adjacent to the Fort Jackson Army Training Center, with one of the main gates to the military installation at the end of Forest Drive.
Following the incident, FAPD Chief Don Robinson said, “These devices have been discovered in the greater Fort Jackson area for years by numerous citizens. If and when you discover one, we advise all citizens to assume that the explosive could be live and contact law enforcement immediately. Never, ever move one on your own. That is not a risk worth taking.”
No charges have been filed in this case, the investigation as to how the devices came to be on the property is ongoing.