PAW PAW, MI — A suspicious device found in a Paw Paw yard prompted a response from Van Buren County deputies and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Bomb Squad on Monday afternoon. Investigators said the item appeared to be a bottle wrapped in duct tape with a wick sticking out of it.

Van Buren County Undersheriff Casey Davis said technicians found what they suspect is gunpowder inside the device. Deputies shut down part of Red Arrow Highway near Almena Drive as a precaution while the bomb squad examined the item and worked to make the area safe.

Deputies called bomb squad after homeowner found taped bottle with a wick

The investigation began after a woman discovered the object in her yard and contacted authorities. Deputies and bomb technicians then responded to the property and treated the item as potentially dangerous.

Davis said the preliminary appearance suggested it may have been some kind of bottle containing a liquid or gas, but deputies did not want to handle it themselves. That caution led them to request the bomb squad rather than try to move or open it on their own.

Robot and X-ray used before technicians planned to open the device

According to Davis, the KDPS Bomb Squad used a robot and an X-ray to examine the device at the scene. The goal was to learn more about its contents and reduce the risk of handling it manually.

Investigators did not plan to detonate the item. Instead, the bomb squad intended to use the robot to open the bottle, drain it and collect a sample for testing. Davis said the team was looking for any evidentiary value the device might provide.

Part of Red Arrow Highway reopened after authorities deemed area safe

The response forced a temporary closure of part of Red Arrow Highway near Almena Drive while the investigation was underway. Traffic was affected during the afternoon as crews worked around the scene.

By 5:37 p.m., the roadway had reopened and officials said the area had been deemed safe. The shutdown ended after technicians finished the immediate on-scene work and no further threat was identified at that point.

Device expected to be taken to KDPS lab for testing

As of 5:43 p.m., the bomb squad was expected to take the device to its lab for testing. Davis said that process would help determine what the substance was and whether investigators could gather useful evidence from it.

The rest of the device was expected to be destroyed by the bomb squad after testing. Authorities said they were still working to determine who left the item on the property and why it was there in the first place.

Investigators continue looking for who left the device and why

Deputies said they are following up on leads tied to the device and the property where it was found. The unusual package left them trying to piece together both its construction and the reason it was placed in the yard.

For now, the immediate public safety concern has passed, but the investigation remains open. Officials have not announced any arrest or identified a suspect, and they are continuing to assess the device for possible evidence.