Grenade found at Falls Church shopping center, safely removed by authorities

A grenade was found at the Eden Center shopping plaza in Falls Church, Virginia, Wednesday and was safely removed by first responders.

The grenade was spotted in the mall’s parking lot some time before 11:30 a.m., the Falls Church Police Department said, according to WDVM-TV.

The Arlington County Police Department and Arlington County Fire Department were dispatched to the scene, and the grenade was removed, according to Washington’s WJLA-TV.

Officials have not said whether the grenade was a live explosive at the time of the incident.

The scene was cleared by about 2 p.m., allowing the businesses at the Eden Center to reopen an hour later, reported WTTG-TV.

Officials have not publicly said how the grenade ended up in the parking lot or if anyone is suspected of planting it there on purpose.