IED found in small Texas cemetery Thursday – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

An improvised explosive device was found at a cemetery on Thursday, according to the Collin County Sheriff's Office.

According to a Facebook post from the sheriff's officedeputies were called about a possible pipe bomb found at Scott Cemetery on County Road 161/Ridge Road, north of Wilmeth Road in McKinney. The sheriff's office told NBC 5 that the caller said he saw the device at the cemetery last week and reported it Thursday morning.

Larry Hankey says he first saw the object during a visit Saturday to the cemetery where his late parents and wife are buried.

“I saw something on the ground, so I kind of kicked it with my foot. I didn't kick it hard. I just pushed it with my foot,” Hankey told NBC 5. “Then I said, 'I'm not going to pick it up,' so I just left it there.”

He left the cemetery Saturday and says he decided to report the object, described as a cylinder wrapped in black tape, after seeing a FBI Alert to encourage the public to report any suspicious activity during the holiday season.

“I should have reported it sooner,” Hankey said.

On Thursday morning at approximately 9:30 am, officers arrived at the cemetery and secured the area.

According to the sheriff's department, the Plano Police Department's bomb squad was called in to assist and they determined “the object was in fact an improvised explosive device.”

The Plano Bomb Disposal Unit safely disposed of the explosive device.

Neighbors say they suffered concussions in their home when it happened.

“It doesn't make any sense. Why would there be a pipe bomb in a cemetery in a great neighborhood,” said Jim Thomas, who lives in a nearby neighborhood.

“Our sincere thanks to the Plano Texas Police Department Bomb Squad for their quick and effective response,” the sheriff's office said in a statement.

When NBC 5 crews arrived, investigators were searching an area under a tree along the cemetery’s west fence. Investigators, including ATF agents, were seen holding what appeared to be nails.

NBC 5 reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information and they said they have nothing more to share at this point in the investigation. No further information has been released about the device or who may have built it or left it at the cemetery.

“I don't know why it would be in a cemetery. That's really odd,” Hankey said.

According to the sheriff's office, there are no indications of any further danger to the public.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called in to assist with the investigation.

Scott Cemetery is a historic site in Texas that dates back to the 1850s.

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