SALINA -An inert 105 mm artillery shell brought to a Salina home on Monday afternoon, prompted authorities to evacuate a half dozen homes, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney.

A woman who said the shell had belonged to her husband, who recently passed away, asked a man to get rid of it.

He took it to a residence in the 1200 Block of Talley Drive and just before 3:30 p.m. called police for help.

The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Fort Riley Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit were called to remove the shell.

While the shell was inert, the trigger device was still live, which means it could have still been fired, according to Sweeney.

The shell was taken to the Smoky Hill Weapons Range for disposal.