Officials Detonate Old Mortar Shell Discovered In Ellis County

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(Italy, TX) — Officials are trying to figure out the source of an old military mortar shell that was detonated in Ellis County on Sunday afternoon.

Somebody called the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office just before 12:45 p.m. after discovering the shell in Chambers Creek at Highway 77, near the town of Italy. It was in an unpopulated area and posed no danger to the public.

With traffic on Highway 77 temporarily blocked, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Air Force Explosive Ordnance Division safely detonated the ordnance. No other shells were found.