Overview
- The resident entered the Essex police station lobby at 4:09 p.m. carrying an item they found while metal-detecting on their property.
- Police and firefighters evacuated the Public Safety Building and waited outside for the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad.
- The bomb squad arrived within about an hour and used an X-ray to assess the device.
- Technicians determined the item was not explosive and identified it as an empty fuel canister resembling a rusted mortar shell.
- Chief Thomas Shamshak Jr. cautioned that suspected explosive devices should be left in place and reported by calling 911, noting the well-intentioned action caused a significant disruption.