McCain asks for defense investigation into fatal bomb explosion

Arizona Sen. John McCain has asked defense officials for an explanation of how a military bomb ended up in a Tucson scrap yard, where it exploded Wednesday, killing a worker.

Police on Thursday identified the employee of Tucson Iron & Metal as Daniel Wright, 46.

He was killed when he cut into a metal object that turned out to be a military bomb, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

Investigators also identified the ordnance as an MK-82 general purpose bomb. Detectives are investigating how it ended up at the scrap yard.

The MK-82 is a 500-pound bomb about 5 feet in length, according to military websites. It is manufactured by General Dynamics.

“This ordnance has been in use for more than 50 years by the Navy, Air Force and Marines,” said 1st Lt. Erin Ranaweera, a Davis-Monthan Air Force Base spokeswoman. She said the bomb was not from D-M and that “all ordnance on base and at the bone yard have been accounted for.”

“I can’t speculate where the ordnance came from. The Tucson Police Department may come up with answers,” said Ranaweera, adding that the police department is heading the investigation because the incident happened on private property off base.

Gary Kippur, owner of Tucson Iron & Metal, 690 E. 36th St., where the explosion occurred, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

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The recycling business was founded in 1986 by Kippur, a third-generation scrap-metal dealer, and it uses “cutting-edge processing equipment,” according to its website.

Meanwhile, McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter Thursday to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter seeking an explanation of how unexploded military ordnance ended up in the scrap yard.

“It is imperative for the Department of Defense to explain how this unexploded ordnance made its way into a civilian place of business,” McCain wrote. “As a matter of national security, as well for the safety of the American public, this issue demands appropriate attention by the department’s senior leadership.”

Master Sgt. Joshua Gray, an Air Force spokesman in Washington, D.C., said Thursday night that an investigation is ongoing. He said he could not release details.

Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson police spokeswoman, said the incident was reported at about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities evacuated employees from the business and searched the yard. No other ordnance was found.

The explosion appears to have been an industrial accident, Bay said on Wednesday.

D-M’s Ranaweera said the base’s bomb squad has a partnership with TPD’s bomb squad and the unit was called in to help in the investigation.

The fragments and unexploded pieces were removed Wednesday night from the scrap yard and taken to the base. “The fragments are being guarded at a safe location,” said Ranaweera, adding that more tests will be done on the pieces. Once all tests are completed, the bomb fragments will be detonated on the base, she said.