An unexpected find by a Lyon Park resident prompted a police and fire department response on the 200 block of N. Barton Street last night.
The resident called the authorities after finding a military mortar shell in his or her basement. Police, firefighters and the county’s bomb squad responded to investigate.
Eventually, it was determined that the object was indeed an old World War II mortar shell, but that all of the explosives has already been removed.
“Nothing illegal or dangerous about it, but [the] homeowner turned it over to [the] bomb team anyway,” a fire department spokesman said via text message.