Explosive device found in Parsons; citizens asked to avoid area
PARSONS, Kans. — A homemade bomb was found in Parsons Thursday afternoon, forcing authorities to lockdown an area.
Around 2:00 PM Parsons Police got a call for a suspicious object found in the 2700 block of Dirr Ave.
At the scene it was found through testing that the object did in fact contain explosive material and classified as an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The surrounding area was immediately blocked off and citizens are asked to avoid the area.
Parsons Fire and Labette County Emergency Services are staging in case of a detonation, the department said in a release.
“[A]s law enforcement are actively working this scene, please hold off on traffic in the area. The safety of our citizens is our top priority and situations such as this can turn in a matter of seconds. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation,” said PPD Chief Robert Spinks.
This is a developing story and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.