EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story said the devices found were 82-millimetre mortar rounds. Police clarified on Tuesday they were 81-milimetre illumination mortar rounds.
Police are investigating after two live mortar rounds were discovered in downtown Lethbridge on Saturday.
The first was discovered in a garbage can near the front door of the supervised consumption site (SCS) on 1 Avenue S.
“Police were subsequently contacted and SCS staff evacuated the building and surrounding parking lot as a precaution,” Lethbridge police said in a news release Monday.
“A member of the Explosive Disposal Unit determined the ordnance was a live, explosive 81-millimetre illumination mortar round.”
A second round was found a short time later near a walking path in Galt Gardens.
The Explosive Disposal Unit, with the help of military explosive technicians, was able to safely dispose of both mortar rounds.
Police said last month that they received a report that two suspects were seen in a north Lethbridge neighbourhood in the possession of a backpack that contained what appeared to be two explosive devices.
“The complainant was able to provide a photo of the devices to police, which matched the round located at the SCS,” police said.
They said their investigation to determine who placed the mortar rounds at the SCS and Galt Gardens is ongoing.
WATCH: (June 16, 2016) A southern Alberta man made an interesting discovery on his rural property just outside of Lethbridge. He unearthed a couple of Second World War explosives. As Quinn Campbell reports, after they were safely removed from his property, he and the RCMP had a warning for others.
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