FBI Says Grenade Tossed Near Bush Was Live
WASHINGTON - A hand grenade that landed within 100 feet of President Bush during his visit last week to a former Soviet republic was a threat to his life and the safety of the tens of thousands in the crowd, the FBI said Wednesday.
The grenade was live but did not explode.
The White House, which initially said Bush never was in danger, said the incident May 10 in the Georgia's capital has led to a review of security at presidential events.
FBI agents are still investigating in Tbilisi, where tens of thousands of people heard Bush speak in strong support of Georgia's efforts at democratic development.
It was unclear how much danger the president faced.
According to the FBI's initial investigation, the grenade failed to explode only because of a malfunction. The activation device deployed too slowly to hit the blasting cap hard enough, agent Bryan Paarmann said.
The grenade was a knockoff of a Soviet-designed RGD-5, a fragmentation grenade with a lethal range of about 100 feet, according to a source familiar with the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A law enforcement official said there are not any individual suspects nor any claims of responsibility. A reward of about $11,000 was offered for information about those responsible.