Grenade found in Wilmington garage led to temporary lockdown

A grenade found in a Wilmington garage during a cleaning resulted in an area of the city being placed under a shelter-in-place restriction Wednesday afternoon.

City police contacted the Cook County Bomb Squad, but the grenade was eventually found to be inert. The device was removed from the property in the 900 block of Buchanan Street and was taken by the bomb squad for proper disposal.

The situation began at about 2:20 p.m. when a resident was cleaning their garage.

During the garage cleaning, a suspicious item was found. Police were called. Upon arrival, family members explained they were cleaning the garage and discovered what appeared to be a grenade.

Upon inspection, police determined that the bomb squad should be contacted to dispose of it.

All nearby residents were asked to shelter in place as a precaution. The road was also closed to traffic.

Once fully viewed, it was determined to be an inert grenade, but the bomb squad removed it.

An inert grenade is a deactivated grenade that has had its explosive components removed, making it safe for training or display purposes.

There were no injuries or threats of any kind related to this incident.

It was believed that the item belonged to a family member who served in the military and that it was unknowingly located in the garage for some time.

No charges are pending.