Teen injured by grenade, 18-year-old arrested

GAINESVILLE - An 18-year-old from Murrayville has been arrested in connection with an explosion that left a younger teen injured late Tuesday night.

Hall County Sheriff's Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks said Barratt Duncan Young is charged with making an explosive device that injured a 16-year-old friend.

Wilbanks said it appears Young took a WWII era "pineapple" style hand grenade, which is commercially available as a novelty item after being rendered inert, and re-armed the device.

"The one involved in this case had been modified and had been filled with an unknown explosive material," said Wilbanks.

Wilbanks said sheriff's deputies and Hall County EMS first became aware of the incident when they were called around 11:30 p.m. to the Marathon gas station in the 5500 block of Thompson Bridge Road in Murrayville. When they arrived, authorities found the 16-year-old boy with injuries he had sustained while handling the grenade. The victim apparently had been drive to the gas station by a friend who was present when the device detonated.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for a residence on Underwood Drive, according to Wilbanks, and found additional materials for making homemade devices of a nature similar to the one that detonated. Then, said Wilbanks, a second search warrant was obtained for a residence in the 5700 block of Kanaday Road in Murrayville. He said investigators discovered two more grenades at that residence, which were still inert.

Wilbanks said, "The incident is not believed to be related to domestic terrorism in any way, and there were no indications of intent to use the devices in a harmful manner."

Young faces a number of charges in the case, including Possessing and Manufacturing an Explosive Device, Reckless Conduct, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and Alcohol Consumption Under 21.

The 16-year-old remained hospitalized at last report and was being treated for injuries and burns to his hands, face and abdomen.