AUSTIN, Texas – A Goodwill employee was injured after a military memento gifted to the organization detonated in his hand Tuesday evening, authorities said.
Austin police responded around 7 p.m. to a bomb hotshot call in the 9800 block of Brodie Lane.
Police said a Goodwill employee found a box of items he believed the organization did not want and handed the box over to another employee to dispose of the items.
The other employee took the box around the corner to dispose of it and found an artillery simulator. The device went off in the employee’s hand, injuring him, Austin police said.
The injured employee was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK, police said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI helped with the investigation. Officials determined that the device was not related to the explosives that have gone off in Austin and Schertz.
Authorities will review surveillance video to determine who dropped off the box. They said they don’t believe this is the work of a copycat in relation to the other bombs.
Police are asking anyone who sees something suspicious to call authorities immediately.