Live WWII Grenade From Duluth Area Found At Ashland Goodwill Store

It's always of great benefit to everyone in the community when donations are made to Goodwill as it allows those in need to have items they may not have the resources to secure at the time.

However, a story recently unfolded involving the Ashland Goodwill store that serves as a great reminder that before you donate to Goodwill, double-check exactly what it is you're donating.

The Ashland Daily Press reported Monday that on Saturday, January 27, employees of the Ashland Goodwill store found a live World War II-era hand grenade that apparently had been donated and now local authorities are trying to determine exactly where it came from.

Ashland police say Goodwill employees discovered the grenade in a bin of donated goods that reportedly had come from the Duluth area.

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The store, which is located at 1810 Lakeshore Drive E, was being evacuated when officers and fire crews arrived, and they confirmed that it was an explosive device that was located near a dumpster just outside the store on the city’s east side.

Once they confirmed the discovery, authorities set up a perimeter to ensure safety, and the Marathon County bomb squad was notified. The scene was kept secure until Saturday evening when the bomb disposal crew from Wausau arrived.

Ashland Police lt. Brandon Marten said the bomb disposal crew wanted to X-ray the grenade to immediately determine if it was live, but the necessary equipment wasn't available so they opted to put it in a safe box and detonate it in a safe area.

Based on the size of the explosion, the bomb squad told local police it almost surely was a live grenade ready to go off if triggered. Even more troubling, they added that a live grenade under these circumstances would more than likely be unstable.

The grenade reportedly doesn’t look like an American grenade, but rather it looked more like a soup can with a dowel poking out of its top. The explosive device was later identified as a Japanese Type 99 grenade.

Now, authorities are trying to backtrack and determine if this donation did originate in Duluth as originally believed and, if that is the case, who donated the grenade. They've already been in direct contact with Goodwill in Duluth as the investigation continues.

Ashland authorities initially stated that they didn't believe anyone was being targeted or that there was any malicious intent here. They believe it's more likely that someone was cleaning out an attic or garage, found a box of an old relative’s belongings, and unwittingly donated it to Goodwill along with other items.

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