An antique item containing explosives was safely detonated by area bomb squads at Copperas Branch Park in Highland Village Monday morning.
The item, which was purchased by a Highland Village resident over the weekend, contained picric acid, a compound that is primarily used in laboratories as a staining agent, but has historically been used as a military explosive.
According to a press release from Highland Village, the resident called the City of Denton Bomb Squad directly, who then contacted Highland Village police around 10 a.m. to assist the call, made from Varia at Highland Village apartments in the 2600 block of FM 407.
Once the bomb squad reviewed the situation, it believed the best way to handle the item was to intentionally detonate it in a safe location.
Along with Denton Bomb Squad and Highland Village’s police and fire departments, the DFW Airport Bomb Squad also assisted the call.
The additional support was called in order to follow protocol by providing a sufficient number of technicians for a detonation.
Before the item was taken to Copperas Branch Park for detonation, local schools within Lewisville ISD were made aware of the situation and put into a secure protocol.
According to Highland Village PD, any students were brought inside where they continued normal learning, which was done “out of an abundance of caution.”
The item was safely detonated and officials determined it was an isolated incident and was not criminal in nature.
