Sheriff's Office authorities identified the explosive device as an M-65 munition.
Construction workers at a future college campus in Brooksville, Florida, on Tuesday stumbled upon a surprising relic of the past: a 1,000-pound bomb dating back to World War II.
Located near the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, the massive bomb was unearthed while work was underway for the Wilton Simpson Technical College campus. Although initially believed to be active, bomb squads from neighboring Citrus County soon confirmed it was inert.
“Because it's so rusted and rotten, you certainly can't tell if it's live ammunition or inert,” Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said in a video posted to social media after the find.
As a precaution, authorities have evacuated a half-kilometre radius around the site. Fortunately, all roads were reopened later that evening after the bomb's inert status was confirmed.
The presence of the bomb provides a tangible reminder of the former life of the airport, once known as the Brooksville Army Airfield and used for training during World War II. The bomb itself, identified as an M-65 munition typically used against fortified targets, will be safely removed with the assistance of MacDill Air Force Base.
