Artillery shell found in cleaning of basement

1/9/2001

FREMONT - A new homeowner made a surprising discovery when cleaning out her basement Sunday afternoon.

Lori Walker called Fremont police after she and her husband discovered a military artillery shell when clearing out items in their Garfield Street home. The shell was found to be a 6-mm recoilless anti-tank heat round.

Members of the explosive ordnance disposal unit from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton were called in to detonate the device. Investigators believe that the shell, which was not active, was about 30 years old and from the Vietnam War era.

The shell was buried in a dirt mound in the Sand Docks area along the Sandusky River before officials tried to ignite it.