After children dug up a World War II-era practice bomb in their back yard Friday, police evacuated several surrounding homes as the bomb squad investigated, Boca Raton police said Tuesday.
The AN MK-43 practice bomb will find a new home at the Boca Raton Historical Society, the police chief wrote in a Facebook post.
The device was found in 300 block of NW 35th Street, in the area of the former Boca Raton Army Air Field.
The street of mostly modest older ranches is tucked between the Boca Raton Airport and Florida Atlantic University to the west and Dixie Highway to the east, near the coast.
The rusted chunk of history, which was labeled "practice bomb," is part of a class of miniature devices that are typically about 8 inches long and were used for low-altitude horizontal, or dive-bombing practice, according to the U.S. Army.
A man who lives nearby wrote on Facebook that police officers ordered him to leave his home.
"We were definitely startled and scared to have Boca PD banging on our door telling us to evacuate, but we are most appreciative of your service in keeping us safe," Eli Casper wrote.
