Explosive device found outside Spanaway gym

SPANAWAY, Wash. — Members of the Pierce County bomb squad safely disposed of an explosive device found outside a Spanaway gym earlier this week.

Deputies were called to the gym in the 15700 block of Pacific Avenue South for a report of a suspicious object.

When Pierce County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived, the manager told them that a gym member had found the object in the parking lot and brought it inside the building.

The manager said he immediately recognized the object as being an improvised explosive device, so he took it outside and called 911.

The bomb squad arrived and took the IED to a location where it could be examined.

Bomb squad members inspected the IED and determined it was an aerial firework that was modified, wrapped in electrical tape and put into a camera lens case.

Deputies said the IED would have caused serious injury if it had exploded due to mishandling.

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