Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, earlier today, confirmed that the grenade found in the hands of a Grade 5 student of Timehri Primary School was just a training device, and is not harmful.
“The grenade is a training device, not a live grenade, not a fragmented grenade. It could not have harmed anyone,” Blanhum told INews during a telephone interview earlier today.
He disclosed that after the child and his parents were questioned, it came to light that the child may have come into contact with the device through his uncle, who is a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Blanhum has confirmed that the man has taken full responsibility and is cooperating with investigators.
INews had previously reported that on Monday afternoon, the entire Timehri Primary School was rendered into a state of panic when word got out that a grenade which was found in the hands of a child and presumed to be a toy, turned out to be the “real thing.”
Based on reports received, a teacher at the educational facility noticed the Grade Five student playing with the device. She indicated that the object looked and felt real and so decided to take it to the school’s Headmistress for confirmation. However, the HM deemed it a toy.
This did not convince the teacher and so she showed the device to another colleague, who also shared her feelings of the object, being a “real grenade”.
Law enforcement officials were informed and the school was reportedly told that the “toy” was actually real.
The child who was playing with the device was taken to the Timehri Police Station in the company of his headteacher and his parents were contacted. (Ramona Luthi)
