Five Pipe Bomb-Like Devices Found at Fort Washington Park, None Injured

Five devices resembling pipe bombs were discovered in a wooded section of Fort Washington Park on Sunday afternoon, triggering an immediate closure of the National Park Service site along the Potomac River while the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department bomb squad neutralized each one.

U.S. Park Police responded around 2:13 p.m. on March 22 after receiving reports of two suspicious packages in the woods. During a search of the area, officers located three additional devices, bringing the total to five. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department's explosive ordnance disposal unit arrived on scene and rendered all five devices safe, according to U.S. Park Police. No injuries were reported.

As a precaution, the park was shut down and remained closed while law enforcement conducted a full sweep of the grounds. Authorities urged the public to avoid the area while their work continued. No official timeline for reopening had been given beyond the condition that the park must be fully cleared.

No information has been released identifying a suspect, and it remains unknown who placed the devices or whether they contained live explosive material. Sources described the objects only as resembling pipe bombs; no official confirmation of explosive contents had been issued as of Sunday evening. The investigation is ongoing.

Fort Washington Park is a federally managed historic site in Prince George's County, overseen by the National Park Service. It encompasses several hundred acres along the Potomac River and contains a 19th-century defensive fort originally constructed to protect Washington, D.C. The park draws visitors year-round through controlled access points and monitored entry zones.