Anson convenience store bomb scare ends without incident

by: Noah McKinney

Posted: Aug 24, 2023 / 10:37 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 24, 2023 / 10:37 PM CDT

ANSON, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – On Thursday, August 24, the Anson Police Department received a call for a suspicious tube in an outdoor trash can at the Allsups Convenience store on Commercial Avenue. Closer inspection revealed that it was a long PVC pipe, capped on both ends with tape. Anson Chief of Police Daniel Graziose said he made a call to Dyess Airforce Base to gauge their assessment of the situation.

“The first thing I noticed is that it was sealed on both ends. That’s indicative of possibly a pipe bomb… They (Dyess) concurred with my suggestion to evacuate the area. And then they notified the Abilene bomb squad,” Graziose told KTAB/KRBC.

With the Abilene Bomb Squad on the way, Anson PD and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office went to work. At approximately 12:30 p.m., they evacuated the area within a 300-yard radius and locked down the nearby Baptist Church and Anson High School. Upon arrival, the bomb squad established their base behind the Allsups and put their training to work.

“The Abilene bomb squad x-rayed it while it was in the trash can. They determined it was safe to move the object,” Graziose explained.

The squad attached a string to the pipe and pulled it out of the trash can from a distance. Graziose said this precaution was done to minimize damage if an explosive inside could be triggered by movement. This was particularly important since the trash can sat dangerously close to a gas pump, which, if an explosion were to happen, could greatly accelerate the area of damage.

“They x-rayed it a second time and then determined it was safe to go ahead and cut the device open,” Graziose said.

In all, the examination of the device and following disposal took about three and a half hours. High School students and Baptist church staff stayed inside for their safety during that time.

After determining that no threat was posed, the Bomb squad cut into the pipe, finding nothing but sand inside the hollow tube. Graziose said there was no threat or call made to any party that would have given them cause to think the scare was intentional.

“We don’t know what its purpose would have been. How it ended up in the trash can… Somebody probably didn’t think much of it and put that in the trash can,” Graziose shared.

Although this pipe did not turn out to be an explosive device, Graziose added that he is immensely proud of the coordinated and swift response put forward by his department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Abilene Bomb Squad. Graziose further stated that this is the best possible outcome, and he is glad they took the necessary precautions to minimize damage or loss of life in this delicate situation.

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