Suspicious device at Skyline Towers was a costume prop, not a bomb

Police investigate suspicious device at Skyline Towers.

A huge police presence at the Skyline Towers Apartments in the 5500 block of Seminary Road March 22 was spurred by the discovery of a “suspicious homemade items found inside an apartment” resembling an “explosive device,” the Fairfax County Police Department reports.

The object was eventually determined to be “an elaborate costume prop,” FCPD states.

A technician inside the apartment for a schedule maintenance visit was concerned about the item, which consisted of a number of miscellaneous objects put together. The technician informed their employer, who then called the police.

The resident was not at home at the time, so the police obtained a search warrant. Meanwhile, the police closed Seminary Road from Carlin Springs Road to South George Mason Drive and asked residents in nearby apartments to leave until it could be determined whether the device posed a danger.

“With recent national events in mind, we did not want to take any risks that would jeopardize the safety of our community,” FCPD states. “Out of an abundance of caution, numerous resources were deployed to the area during the investigation in the event they were needed and to ensure a safe outcome.”