On Wednesday morning, September 25th, a courthouse in Southern California exploded, resulting in two injuries and one suspect being detained, according to local police.
The explosion occurred shortly after 8:45 am at the Santa Maria Courthouse in the northern part of Santa Barbara County. One person has been arrested, local officers said.
Raquel Zick, the Public Information Officer of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, stated on social media platform X, “We have received reports of two non-life-threatening injuries. One suspect has been immediately detained. The scene is still under investigation, please avoid the area.”
Zick later confirmed that the detained suspect is male and that the explosion originated from a “rudimentary explosive device” set up by the man.
A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department declined to provide further information immediately.
Local online news outlet Noozhawk cited comments from Darrel Parker, the court executive officer, reporting that a suspect threw a bag at the courtroom during a hearing inside the courthouse, and the bag subsequently exploded.
According to the news outlet, the suspect has been detained.
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that they are actively monitoring the situation and cooperating with local law enforcement.
The website of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court stated that the courthouse building was closed for the day, and all scheduled court proceedings for the day have been canceled.
Santa Barbara County, located on the southern coast of Central California, has a population of 110,000 and is approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.