Man finds live World War II artillery shell while cleaning garage, MA cops say
A man found a large unexploded artillery shell from World War II while cleaning his garage and called police about the historic discovery, according to authorities in Massachusetts.
The man found the ammunition at his home in Gloucester around 11 a.m. on Sept. 17, the Gloucester Police Department said in a news release. Gloucester is about a 35-mile drive northeast from Boston.
After officers responded, officials identified it as a live World War II 75 mm artillery shell, measuring nearly 3 inches wide, according to police.
That makes the munition at least 80 years old, as World War II ended on Sept. 2, 1945.
The shell was safely detonated in the woods near a local compost area by the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad the day it was found, authorities said.
“This resident did the right thing by contacting us to handle the ammunition,” Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said in a statement.
“It could have ended differently if they had tried to dispose of it on their own,” Conley added. “If anyone finds something suspicious or unfamiliar on their property, I urge them to contact us so we can ensure it is handled safely.”
Later that same day, another older ammunition was found at a home in Brockton, a city about a 60-mile drive southwest from Gloucester, the Boston Globe reported.
Authorities learned of the “suspected mortar” at about 4:30 p.m., Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli told the newspaper.
It was also detonated by the state police bomb squad, according to officials, the newspaper reported.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Man finds live World War II artillery shell while cleaning garage, MA cops say."
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