CORNELIA, Ga. — A woman cleaning out a relative’s belongings brought downtown Cornelia to a standstill Wednesday after discovering a grenade and driving it to the police department.
The woman, apparently unaware of the potential danger, transported the explosive in a vehicle and parked at the Cornelia Police Department located inside City Hall. That prompted an immediate response from police, who cordoned off the area surrounding City Hall and shut down nearby streets out of an abundance of caution.
“We can only see one [device], but we’re not messing with the box—just waiting on the GBI,” Chief Roberts tells Now Habersham.
The Cornelia Police Department called in the GBI Bomb Squad to assess and safely remove the device. Officers shut down public access to the area between Foreacre Street and Wyly Street.
“The area has been cordoned off, and we’re not going to let anybody in the area,” says Roberts.
Upon inspection by the bomb squad, both grenades were determined to be inert—empty of explosive powder—but still had their fuses intact, which necessitated professional handling. The GBI safely collected both devices for disposal at another location.
Cornelia officers reopened all closed roads around 7:30 p.m. An older woman and man was seen leaving the city police department escorted by police. EMS, Fire and Rescue teams have left the scene.
City Hall was already closed when the woman dropped off the device. According to Roberts, most of the employees had already left for the day.
In a press release issued late Wednesday, the Cornelia Police Department extended thanks to the GBI Bomb Squad, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Department, the Baldwin Police Department, and all responding agencies for their swift and coordinated response.
