NEW ORLEANS — A military bomb squad was dispatched to Broadmoor Tuesday afternoon to disarm a hand grenade found in a home.
According to the NOPD, the bomb squad was called in to the 4100 block of Walmsley Avenue sometime before 4:30 p.m. Officials said family members were cleaning out a deceased relative's home when a grenade dropped to the floor, and the pin fell out of the device, arming it.
Walmsley Avenue is closed between Gayoso Street, South Dupre Street and General Pershing as a safety measure while the grenade is disarmed.
"It was discovered that the hand grenade's pin was dislodged from the hand grenade," said NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson. "We have confirmed that this is, in fact, a military-grade hand grenade."
The 1800 block of Gayoso Street has been evacuated because of the threat, and Ferguson asked residents to avoid the area if possible.
"We do not know right now how it did not detonate," Ferguson said. "But it is in very poor condition... The hand grenade is rusty."
Military technicians were en route from Fort Polk to New Orleans to handle the device as of 5:30 p.m. Ferguson said it would be several hours before they arrived.
Ferguson said he hopes the military technicians will take the bomb and remove it from the city before detonating it.
Stay with Eyewitness News for more on this developing story.
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