A box of dynamite received by a recycling center in Knoxville, Tennesee, prompted an evacuation of local residents and a lockdown as authorities tackled the find. It was 36 hours before the "high-grade commercial explosives" were declared safe by the bomb squad, and investigators remain on site.
"I could not be prouder of the law enforcement community in Tennessee," KPD Chief Paul Noel said during a 10 p.m. briefing near the area that had been evacuated.
"They removed a large amount of dynamite by hand all day, today, in the hot sun, I cannot stress how dangerous that was," Noel said. "They are absolute heroes."
The investigation began after a 911 call around 2:15 p.m. Oct. 10 that alerted police to an unmarked, locked, approximately 5-foot-by-5-foot steel box filled with suspected explosive materials at CMC Recycling.
The best part: the recycling center at 2706 Mynderse Ave didn't know what was in the mystery metal container and opened it with a torch before realizing what it was in it. The photos are from a police drone.
Knoxville police report that the only lead is a charred yellow business card printed with the slogan "HAVE BRAIN WILL TRAVEL," but any name or other identifying information is burned off.
