A man allegedly threw an explosive device inside a California courthouse Wednesday, injuring five people, the same day he was set to be arraigned on firearms charges, authorities said.
The explosion was reported around 8:48 a.m. PT Wednesday at the Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Barbara County.
The suspect allegedly walked through the courthouse doors and threw a small bag past the weapons checkpoint, and the bag exploded upon hitting the ground outside the local arraignment room, Darrel Parker, the court’s executive director, told ABC News.
People leave the Santa Maria Courthouse after an explosion at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Barbara, California, on September 25, 2024.
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According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Craig Bonner, five people suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the explosion, including burns.
The suspect, identified by the sheriff’s office as Nathaniel McGuire, 20, will be charged with several local counts, including attempted murder, use of an explosive device and attempted murder, as well as possession of explosive devices, Bonner said. He will be held without bail, Bonner said.
Authorities believe the explosion was the result of an “intentionally placed improvised explosive device,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Raquel Zick wrote on social media.
The suspect was arrested as he tried to get into his car outside the courthouse, Bonner said. He was wearing a bulletproof vest under his jacket, according to Bonner. He also allegedly had guns and ammunition in his car, Parker said.
The suspect’s alleged motivation in the explosion “appears to stem from a recent arrest” by the sheriff’s office, Bonner said at a news briefing Wednesday evening.
In that case, McGuire was arrested for violating firearms laws on July 28, Bonner said. Officers seized a “loaded, concealed revolver that was in McGuire’s pants pocket and was not registered to him,” Bonner said.
He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning, Bonner said. Court records show he was scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. PT at the Santa Maria courthouse on a charge of carrying a loaded firearm. No attorney for McGuire was listed in the case.
Detectives are working with Santa Barbara County fire officials to see if the suspect is associated with several additional recent arsons, Bonner said.
Authorities do not believe there are any other security concerns at this time, Bonner said.
The FBI is also investigating the incident. The suspect has no known ties to terrorism, authorities said.
People leave the Santa Maria Courthouse after an explosion at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Barbara, California, on September 25, 2024.
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Five people were injured in the blast, Bonner said. All were treated and released from a local hospital, he added. The victims were all civilians; no court employees were among the injured, Parker said.
The courthouse will remain closed Thursday due to the investigation.
“We will review this incident thoroughly to ensure that we can take all necessary steps to reduce the risk of something like this ever happening again in court,” Parker said at the news conference.
