Essex's public safety building briefly turned into the scene of a bomb scare Monday afternoon when a resident walked into the lobby holding what they thought was an unexploded mortar shell. Police and firefighters quickly evacuated the building and paused all walk-in services while technicians checked out the object. Within about an hour, the State Police bomb squad used X-ray equipment and decided the supposed shell was not explosive at all, but likely an empty fuel canister. Town officials later described the resident's decision to bring the item inside as well meaning, but disruptive.
How the call unfolded
According to Essex police, the person came into the public safety lobby shortly after 4 p.m. with the item, which had been found on their property with a metal detector, and immediately told staff what they believed it was so the building could be cleared. The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad was called in and carried out an X-ray inspection on site. After that scan, technicians concluded the object posed no explosive threat. These details were reported by NBC Boston.
Bomb squad procedures and safety
Bomb squads regularly rely on remote X-ray systems, robotic tools and other render-safe techniques to size up suspicious ordnance before anyone gets close. The goal is to keep both the public and first responders out of harm's way while they figure out what they are dealing with. That approach is in line with the tactics described by the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, according to Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad. Officials said those procedures helped them keep the exclusion zone tight and reopen public services once the item was declared inert.
Local precedent and public advice
Town leaders again reminded residents that if they ever find something that looks like ordnance, the safest move is to leave it where it is and call 911 instead of picking it up and driving it to the station. Similar discoveries have led to evacuations on the North Shore before. In 2022 a mortar shell uncovered during a home cleanup in Essex triggered a bomb-squad response, and that item was also ultimately ruled inert. That case was reported by WHDH. Officials said the latest event ended without injuries, and the building was reopened after the all clear.
