WWII-era bomb discovered during construction in Arapahoe County

DENVER ( KDVR ) — The Arapahoe County bomb squad was called to a residential neighborhood on Monday after a construction company unearthed a WWII-era bomb.

Bomb technicians were able to X-ray the device and found it to be inert.

The Aurora Police Department initially responded to the reported device but called in the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office for its bomb squad to look at the device. Deputies identified the device as a World War II Mark 23 Mod 1 training round and turned it over to the Buckley Space Force Base.

The bomb was found in the 4600 block of South Roberstdale Way, which is where the Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range was once located. It’s also just south of the Aurora Reservoir.

The Former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range encompasses about 100 square miles and was established in 1938. It was used for training through 1963 , including training exercises throughout the Korean and Vietnam wars, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

CDPHE encourages citizens to know the three “R’s” of munitions safety :

1. Recognize when you have encountered a munition
   • They can resemble a pointed pipe, a soda can, a baseball, a muffler or other metal objects
   • Munitions may also be visible on the surface of the earth, but could also be buried or partially exposed due to erosion or other natural occurrences
   • Munitions can also be found alone or in groups.
   • Consider every suspect item as dangerous, regardless of size or apparent age
2. Retreat if you’ve encountered a suspected munition
   • Do not touch, move or disturb the suspected device
   • Mark the general area in some manner
3. Report the device to 911 immediately

The inert bomb found on Tuesday is a cast-iron miniature bomb and was a common practice bomb for land targets, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range contains four former Titan I missile complexes, which were operated in the 1960s, and the Lowry Landfill, which is a Superfund site on the northwest corner of the property.

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