Oklahoma Patrol Bomb Squad Summoned after Student Brings Military Grenade to Show a Teacher

This month, a show-and-tell took a shocking turn and required a response from the bomb squad. The pupil's intentions were pure but put all of the students at risk.

In Guthrie, Oklahoma, a school got some unexpected attention in September when a student decided to share a piece of history with his class. He brought a Vietnam-era practice grenade rifle along in his backpack.

Guthrie Police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s bomb squad arrived after a teacher was tipped off about the dangerous item and acted swiftly.

THE CONCERNED PARENTS

Sgt. Anthony Gibbs with the Guthrie Police Department explained that “the school resource officer didn’t wake up this morning thinking he was going to find this in a backpack.” It was a "pretty scary" experience, according to parent Michelle Grimm.

Grimm said: “Practice grenade? Like, how did they even get that into school?” Another concerned parent shared that an email informed her about the grenade.

WELL-INTENTIONED

The pupil's motive for bringing the item to school was well-intentioned. He wanted to share a piece of history at school and didn't think it would scare people ... but it certainly did.

Sgt. Gibbs expressed:

“The student had stated he wanted to show this to some friends and a history teacher to ask him more questions about this particular device. I think they know now, that’s obviously not something good to do.”

STATEMENT ABOUT THE INCIDENT

The device was found to be an "inert training device." This meant that they had to treat it like it was still a potentially live device. Guthrie Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson shared a statement about the incident.

Simpson said:

“We take school safety seriously at Guthrie Public Schools. It is the responsibility of everyone to assist us in keeping our students safe. We are very thankful for the student who reported what they saw."

PLAY IT SAFE

He also thanked the teacher and resource officer for acting quickly to avoid a potentially hazardous encounter. According to the sergeant, the best thing to do when working with historic devices is to "play it safe."

Gibbs added:

“Don’t touch firearms. Don’t touch things that may look kind of near but may hurt you. Call us. Let us check that it is not an actual device so that no one is hurt.”

CASE SENT TO JUVENILE SERVICES

Police commented that while it is an offense to bring weaponry onto school grounds, the motive behind the action is also considered. In this case, it is purported that the pupil did not intend to cause harm.

The case has been forwarded to the juvenile services, who will determine the next course of action. It is also believed that the family who owned the military grenade did not want it back.