3-year-old finds live grenade in yard, then takes it inside, Washington cops say

A 3-year-old discovered a live World War II-era grenade in the front yard of a Washington home and brought it inside, sheriff’s officials reported.

The child’s parents called 911 after discovering the explosive in their Hartline home at about 6:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The Washington State Patrol bomb squad determined the grenade was live and safely detonated it in a remote area, sheriff’s officials said.

“The grenade was of a type used during the Second World War and had clearly been exposed to the elements for some time,” deputies said in the release. “It’s not known how the grenade ended up in the family’s front yard, nor how long it had been there.”

“Imagine hitting that with your lawn mower,” read one comment on the sheriff’s Facebook post.

Hartline is about a 210-mile drive east from Seattle.

This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM with the headline "3-year-old finds live grenade in yard, then takes it inside, Washington cops say."