Boy Scout’s toy grenade causes bomb scare in Houston airport
HOUSTON — A Boy Scout who packed a toy grenade in his carry-on bag caused the shutdown of a security checkpoint at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport Thursday morning, just a day after the international terminal of the city’s other major airport was evacuated due to a bomb scare.
Houston Airport System spokesman Bill Begley said people were allowed to approach the checkpoint again after authorities determined that the suspicious item spotted by a Transportation Security Administration agent was a “novelty grenade.” It’s not clear why the 17-year-old had the item in his bag.
Houston police said the state won’t charge the teen but that he could face a federal fine.
Hobby Airport is a hub for Southwest Airlines and Begley said more than 15 Southwest flights were delayed. The website FlightAware indicated delays of an hour or more for flights arriving and departing the airport immediately after the security checkpoint reopened.