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Criminal Justice

Suspect in custody after courthouse explosion that injured several people

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 25, 2024, 4:05 pm CDT

Updated: Police were questioning a suspect Wednesday afternoon after he was arrested following an explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse in California.

The Wednesday morning explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device, the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s office said in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police later identified the suspect as Nathaniel McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, California, who had been scheduled for arraignment on a firearms charge on the day of the explosion.

McGuire allegedly threw a bag at a screening station when he entered the courthouse, causing an explosion in the hallway near the arraignment courtroom, according to a Sept. 25 press release by the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s office.

McGuire then ran to the parking lot, where he was detained by authorities, the sheriff’s office said. He was wearing body armor underneath his jacket when apprehended.

Six people injured in the explosion were treated and released from the Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria on Wednesday, the New York Times reports, citing information from a hospital spokesperson.

Darrel Parker, executive officer of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, said the injured people were thought to be bystanders, rather than court employees.

McGuire has been charged with felonies that include attempted murder, manufacturing an explosive device and use of an explosive device for attempted murder.

A witness at the courthouse, Shane Mellon, said he heard a loud bang, according to a report by KSBY cited by the Associated Press. The bailiff evacuated Mellon and others. In front of the courthouse, Mellon saw a smoldering sweater and saw a man screaming while four or five people were on top of him trying to restrain him.

“I think this could have been way worse than it was if not for the deputies just jumping on top of that guy,” Mellon told the broadcast station.

Other publications with early coverage of the explosion included Noozhawk and Reuters.

Updated Sept. 26 at 4:15 p.m. new information from the New York Times and the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s office’s press release.