IN BRIEF

military grade devices

Bomb squad responds to call
about old mortar rounds

A woman cleaning out a shed in her backyard found two old mortar rounds, prompting a response by the bomb squad and Nellis Air Force Base Sunday afternoon.

The military-grade devices were found about 1:45 p.m. at a home on the 1100 block of Sharon Road, near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Washington Avenue, according to Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski.

Authorities determined the devices appeared to be "really old" souvenirs that were largely harmless, he said. The mortar rounds were flares designed to light up the battlefield, not bombs designed to explode on impact.

Because the devices might still have residue that could be dangerous, experts from Nellis retrieved the items and planned to dispose of them.

A relative of the woman might have collected the devices, Szymanski said. She called police when she found them.

The discovery was not unusual, Szymanski said. He said the Las Vegas Fire Department Bomb Squad often responds to calls from people who find hollowed-out grenades, ammunition or other potentially dangerous items when searching through the belongings of a deceased loved one.

He said people should leave the items alone and call the fire department to dispose of them.

armed robbery attempt

Teen clubbed by store clerk
on July 21 dies in hospital

The would-be armed robber who was clubbed with a baseball bat by a store clerk last month has died, according to North Las Vegas police.

The name of the teen, who was identified as a 17-year-old Henderson resident and possible Russian national, was not released. He died at University Medical Center after being hospitalized following the July 21 confrontation.

Police said he used a "fake" handgun to hold up the Family Stop convenience store on Ann Road near Clayton Street at 2:15 a.m. He demanded money and cigarettes from the 52-year-old store clerk, who attempted to comply with his demands, police said.

When the teen turned to confront two customers who entered the store, the clerk pulled out an aluminum baseball bat and struck him in the head, according to police. Injuries from the incident apparently led to the teen's death, police said.

Authorities said soon after the incident that they had no plans to charge the store clerk. A police spokesman said he used justifiable force to defend himself.

fatalities reported

Plane crash sparks forest fire
at national park in Alaska

A large cargo-type plane crashed in Alaska on Sunday and burst into a deadly fireball that sparked a forest fire at Denali National Park, officials said in Anchorage.

Park spokeswoman Kris Fister said there are fatalities, but it is unclear how many because "the plane pretty much disintegrated."

The fire was challenging responders, who did not immediately know who owns the multiengine aircraft. The plane went down near the park's eastern edge at 3:15 p.m., about 100 yards of the only major road in the park.

No missing planes were immediately reported and military officials have said none of their planes were involved.

Clint Johnson with the National Transportation Safety Board said there are a number of large transport planes operating in Alaska. The NTSB was expected to arrive on scene this morning.