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‘Wicked smaht’: 12-year-old boys credited with finding grenade

WRENTHAM, Mass. — A police chief in Massachusetts praised two boys who did the right thing after finding a grenade in the woods.

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Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath said in a Facebook post that the two 12-year-olds were out hiking when they saw a pile of trash. The boys began to look through the trash in the hope of finding treasure and were shocked to find a hand grenade.

“This is where the ‘SMAHT’ comes in!” McGrath wrote. “Perhaps, I’m underestimating the average kids. More likely, I’m conceding to what me and my friends would have likely done when we were 12, had WE made this discovery. I’m afraid NOT so smaht back then. But these two guys were different. Kevin and his friend Jackson DID NOT give in to ‘kid curiosity.’ They DID NOT give it a little ‘test push’ with their foot and DID NOT pick that grenade up for closer inspection.”

The boys took a photo with their phones, made a note of its location and then went home to tell their parents.

911 was called and Wrentham Police and Fire responded to the scene, along with the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, WFXT reported. The grenade was determined to be real but had been hollowed out and was harmless.

“Had that grenade been live, had Kevin and Jackson caved to curiosity, this story would be tragic,” McGrath said. “But thankfully, two wicked smaht kids did the right thing and we all benefit from the lesson, for ourselves to share with and educate our own kids.”