Goodwill employees find loaded grenade launcher among donated items

Goodwill employees discovered a grenade launcher, loaded with a live grenade, this past weekend in a load of items donated at a Bradenton store, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sunday, deputies were called out to the Goodwill Manasota Bargain Barn, 7501 15th St. E., after employees discovered a grenade launcher with a grenade inside it, according to an incident report. The store manager told deputies that the grenade launcher had come in on Jan. 25 in a shipment from a store on Cortez Road.

According to the Goodwill manager, employees at the Bradenton location didn’t know what the donated item was, so they sent it to the Bargain Barn location.

Deputies say they properly disposed of the active grenade by placing it in a Hazmat locker at the sheriff’s office District One office. The grenade launcher has been placed into the property room.

The store manager told deputies she would let the other Goodwill store know about the discovery.

Jessica De Leon: 941-745-7049, @JDeLeon1012

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Goodwill employees find loaded grenade launcher among donated items."