Live grenade left in toy aisle in German supermarket

GlobalPost

BERLIN, Germany — Police in Wetzlar, west Germany, are investigating an attempted murder after a live hand-grenade was found in the toy section of a local supermarket.

The device was found on a shelf in the Real supermarket last Thursday, Deutsche Press Agentur reported. It was said to be placed at child's eye level, disguised among toys.

A member of staff spotted it and alerted the authorities, prompting a major security alert. The store was evacuated while around 50 officers and sniffer dogs searched for any other explosive devices.

The grenade is still being examined, but investigators believe it was "in highest probability functional."

"Unfortunately, we have to assume that whoever left it there wanted to put children in danger," said the Hessen state prosecutor's spokesperson, Uwe Braun.

The case is being treated as attempted murder and violation of weapons control laws.

The motive is unclear. Investigators are checking surveillance camera footage in an attempt to identify the culprit, but the cameras did not cover all of the shop floor, Braun said.

The day before the grenade was found, live tank ammunition was discovered in a car park in the same region, though it is not known whether the two incidents are connected.

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