DUNCANVILLE, Texas — A live artillery shell was found in the backyard of a North Texas home while the homeowner was doing yard work, according to police.
The Duncanville Police Department said officers were dispatched at approximately 4:28 p.m. Thursday to the 1300 block of Circle Drive, where a man had reported finding a "missile-shaped object, possibly an explosive" while digging in his backyard. Police told the person to evacuate the home immediately.
When officers got to the home, they requested assistance from Dallas PD's bomb squad. Officers also evacuated several houses in the immediate area and shut down the 1300 block of Circle Drive.
Dallas PD's bomb squad arrived by 6:25 p.m., Duncanville police said, and the object was identified as a live artillery shell.
"Through consultation with the Dallas Police Department’s Bomb Squad, it was recommended that the United States Air Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal take possession of the live ordnance," Duncanville police said in a release.
The man who reported the device told police that the home was previously owned by a United States veteran and likely buried the artillery shell years ago.
Police said they do not believe there was an ongoing risk to the public.
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