THURMONT, Md. –  An active military-grade hand grenade was uncovered Saturday afternoon in the parking lot outside a Maryland McDonald's.

The Frederick News-Post reports a bomb technician with the Office of the State Marshal secured and removed the active grenade.

Dale Ednock, the bomb technician, told the News-Post the grenade found lodged about a foot under the pavement was there for quite some time. Ednock said it was likely a relic of the military base located in Thurmont, about 65 miles northwest of Baltimore, several decades ago.

Ednock said if the grenade had gone off, anyone in the vicinity could have suffered severe injuries, or death.

The grenade was found about 1 p.m. by a landscaping crew.

Customers and employees were evacuated, and roads in all directions were shut down.