Boy Scout's novelty grenade prompts scare at Houston airport

HOUSTON, Texas -- A security checkpoint at Hobby Airport is back open after authorities were sent in to investigate a suspicious device early Thursday morning.

Houston police confirmed the device was a novelty grenade found in a 17-year-old Boy Scout's bag.

The device was discovered inside his bag during the TSA screening. The Houston Police Department was called to investigate, and that's when they discovered the grenade was hollow.

Crowds of passengers could be seen waiting for the all-clear to be given at the airport as the investigation unfolded shortly after 4:30 a.m.

Everyone was kept outside of a 200 foot radius of the TSA checkpoint until the novelty grenade was removed.

The Boy Scout was not detained. It's not clear if he or his parents will face any fines.

Houston Airports System spokesman Bill Begley says Southwest Airlines is adjusting its schedule to accommodate passengers who were delayed arriving to their gates.

This is the second time in less than 24 hours that an incident has been reported at a Houston airport.

On Wednesday, a bomb squad investigated a suspicious bag in the south ticketing area of Terminal D at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

A passenger claimed to have explosives in his bag. The airport later tweeted that the comments were made by an impatient passenger.