Military shell puts scare into shoppers
09/26/01
By KEVIN SHEA
Staff Writer
Trenton Times:
http://www.nj.com
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP -- About 200 employees and shoppers were evacuated from the Foxmoor Shopping Center yesterday morning when a man found a military explosive on a grass island in front of the center, police said.
The device was a real bazooka shell, but it was from the World War II era and had neither gun powder nor a detonator, officials said.
Police Lt. Martin Masseroni said the 8:20 a.m. incident was likely a prank.
"It's not funny in light of what happened Sept. 11," he said, referring to the terrorist attacks. "We would have done everything we did (yesterday) before Sept. 11, but it's not funny. People should really refrain from doing this."
Patrolman Bryan Boccanfuso was on foot patrol when he walked into the Bagels N Cream store at the center and a man buying coffee told him he saw something suspicious in the concrete island at the center's entrance, Masseroni said.
The officer looked at the device and radioed the department, Masseroni said.
The township fire department was dispatched, the area was evacuated and a bomb squad from the U.S. Army's Fort Monmouth in Monmouth County was requested.
"It looked pretty much like a missile," Masseroni said.
All open Foxmoor businesses were shut down, while some had not opened yet, Masseroni said.
Marrazzo's Thriftway had the most people inside, he said.
Many went to the Rose Hill Assisted Living center's parking lot on the other side of Washington Boulevard to wait, Masseroni said.
Two Army sergeants from Fort Monmouth's Explosive Ordinance Detachment arrived at about 9:30 a.m. and Masseroni said one immediately recognized the device.
"There was no detonating device. He unscrewed it and there was no powder," Masseroni said.
Military surplus shops sell such inactive bazooka shells, Masseroni said.
The Foxmoor center was reopened by 10 a.m.
Although the device was a dud, Bagels N Cream employee Nora Haughey said it was a terrifying situation, especially since there was an actual object.
"People were on edge," she said.
Haughey said the incident proves people are more on alert since the terrorist attacks two weeks ago.
"They didn't have to tell us to evacuate twice," she said.
The Washington Township Fire Department stood by while the bomb squad cleared the device.