Germany edition

Grenade disguised as toy left on supermarket shelf

Published: 28 Jan 12 10:35 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20120128-40395.html

A hand grenade disguised as a toy and placed at child’s eye level on the shelf of a supermarket could have killed someone, say German prosecutors investigating it as an attempted murder.

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A security guard working at the Real supermarket in Wetzlar near Frankfurt, spotted the grenade on the toy aisle, and called police who evacuated the shop.

Around 50 officers searched the supermarket while experts removed the grenade for examination.

It was “most probably functional,” said a spokesman for Hessen state prosecutor. He suggested that whoever had hidden the hand grenade was intending for it to go off.

He told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily newspaper, “sadly we have assume he actively wanted to hurt children,” because the grenade was disguised as a toy and hidden among other toys.

Detectives are examining footage from the supermarket’s security cameras in the hunt for clues, but the public prosecutor spokesman said not all aisles were covered.

He admitted they were completely in the dark about who put the grenade there, and that “the motive of the attacker is unclear.” He added that the case was being treated as attempted murder.

The Local/jcw

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Your comments about this article:

12:00 January 28, 2012 by pepsionice

A security guard finds it? At a large-scale Real shop? Hmmm....I don't buy the story at all. I'd be suspecting the security guard right off the bat is the guy who put it up there. A huge complex and some security guy just happens to walk the toy aisle and find this? It just doesn't add up. And they admit that area affected....probably didn't have cameras.....which again, only the security guy would know and realize.

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13:01 January 28, 2012 by zeddriver

@pepsionice

That's a definate possibility. The police are smart to not show if they are thinking that very thing.

Their are way to many sick folk on this planet. If they catch the person that did this. Maybe they should make them use the grenade as a suppository.

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13:28 January 28, 2012 by Anth2305

@pepsionice

You may well be correct in your assertion, however on the other hand one would hope that's exactly what a security officer is paid to do, to be constantly vigilant and on the look out for suspicious items and packages, especially in places like crowded supermarkets and shopping malls.

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19:01 January 28, 2012 by Englishted

When they find the culprit they should make him or her eat it.

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19:42 January 28, 2012 by sniffer

When they catch this person they should be tied to a wooden post in the middle of a field, the grenade forced into their mouth and the safety pin removed.

To purposely intend to kill/harm children deserves the very sentence proposed above.

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11:46 January 29, 2012 by Omufu

I doubt it was the guard, and I'm not surprised he/she was the one to find it.

Think about it - they walk the same isles, every day, actively looking for things that are odd or out of place. They would notice something as odd as a toy grenade that wasn't there last time they did the rounds. And remember, there's no such thing as a toy grenade in Germany.

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13:09 January 29, 2012 by bobmarchiano

I go with the wooden post in a field and put it on the web

As a deterred for all others

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16:52 January 29, 2012 by Aelfgifu1

@pepsionice: Does the name Richard Jewell mean anything to you? Lazy assumptions like yours ruined his life. This security guard should just be glad you're an anonymous poster on the internet and not anyone in any kind of position of power.

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19:00 January 29, 2012 by volvoman9

Nice to see that suspicion and blood lust are alive and well. Ever wonder why we need security guards in food stores?

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#10

18:06 January 30, 2012 by heyheyhey

Pepsionice is always a smartass, condescending idiot. Likely an American GI from the sound of his pepsi name. He should go home and stay there when the rest of his troops begin to leave Germany. We are better off without the likes of him. Why is it that so many American posters are smartasses???? Very negative and demeaning mindset that comes with them. It certainly says much about their culture and upbringing. Dog-eat-dog capitalists!!!!!!!

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#11

18:30 January 30, 2012 by Englishted

heyheyhey if you send anymore people "home" there will be nobody here.

Once more where is your home? ? ? .

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#12

10:50 February 5, 2012 by Yah right

Englishted

Fukk yourself

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