Sam Amico
A devastating family tragedy resulted when a father and his teenage sons sorted through the grandfather’s belongings inside their home in the community of Lakes of the Four Seasons, Indiana.
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Bryan Niedert, 47, was killed and his sons, ages 18 and 14, were injured after they came across an old hand grenade and someone pulled the pin. Police said it was unclear who pulled the pin, but that the act caused a massive explosion.
The boys were taken to the hospital with injuries from the shrapnel.
“Someone reportedly pulled the pin on the device, and it detonated,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Pam Jones said in a news release.
Authorities are investigating the incident and immediately began a search for other possible explosives following the incident. It is unclear if any were found.
Grenade detonations are said to be incredibly rare.
“There are a lot of hand grenades out there in private homes, parts of collections or war souvenirs the family has kept,” Lt. Col. Robert Leiendecker, an explosives expert with the 67th Ordnance Detachment stationed at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., told the New York Times.
“A very, very high percentage are totally inert and safe to handle.”
