July 7, 2026 – Punta Gorda, FL
A device resembling a hand grenade resulted in a brief evacuation and a call to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad.
Around 1:30pm on Monday, July 6, deputies responded to a Punta Gorda residence on Fairway Drive after a landlord reported that they discovered a hand grenade on the outdoor fuse box of their property. As deputies arrived, the caller brought them to the spot and pointed out the device (as shown in the picture below). Out of an abundance of caution, deputies began evacuating homes in the immediate area and alerted the nearby East Elementary School to shelter in place. There were no students and very limited staff on campus at the time. A perimeter was established and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was asked to respond.
The tenant had no idea of the device being on the fuse box outside nor how long it had been there, except to say that it was not there the previous week. The LCSO Bomb Squad safely collected the device and determined it to be a “dummy grenade”, such as those used in military training, that had been painted. There was no explosive ordinance inside. Once the scene had been determined to be safe, neighbors and the staff at the school were informed as such and the scene was cleared.
“I want to applaud my deputies for their immediate and appropriate action to ensure the safety of everyone around the scene. While I am thankful the device was not an actual threat, I hope that our community sees the level of precaution taken and understands how seriously we take these matters. Thank you as well to our brothers at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for their response. As I have always said, the collaboration between all of the local law enforcement agencies in Southwest Florida is a major reason we are one of the safest areas in the state.”
Sheriff Bill PrummellNo arrests have been made in relation to this incident.
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