Six people have been hostpiazed after a man exploded a bomb in a California courthouse Wednesday morning.
The alleged bomber planted “an intentionally set” explosive device in the bustling Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Maria, a coastal town in Santa Barbara County, authorities said.
At least six people were caught in the blast and rushed to a local hospital, where two were in “good condition” and three in “fair condition,” a spokesperson for the Marian Regional Medical Center said.
Though authorities believe the man was acting alone, they evacuated the courthouse and other public buildings.
“The bomb team is processing the scene and the suspect is still being interviewed,” Raquel Zick, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office posted on X.
Courthouse staff witnessed a man walk into the building and toss a bag packed with explosive materials outside one of the courtrooms, Noozhawk reported.
Shane Mellon told KSBY-TV that he was at the courthouse when he heard a “loud bang” and saw what looked like a sweater smoldering and a man screaming while four or five people got on top of him, trying to keep him restrained.
“I think this could have been way worse than it was if not for the deputies just jumping on top of that guy,” Mellon said. The bomber was apparently able to slip his deadly device past courthouse security measures, which include metal detectors ad X-ray machines to scan bags, according to Noozhawk.
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with local law enforcement.
The court’s website said the courthouse complex was closed for the day and all courtroom calendars were canceled. Phone and email messages were left for Darrel Parker, the court’s executive officer.
Patrols were stepped up at courthouses in neighboring Los Angeles County, the sheriff’s department there said.
Santa Maria City Hall, which is near the local courthouse, was closed Wednesday due to the ongoing investigation, said Mark van de Kamp, a spokesperson for the city. So were other nearby city offices in addition to branch libraries that depend on the city’s main library for support, he said.
The courthouse holds state and county courts in the city of Santa Maria, which is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. Two decades ago, the courthouse was where Michael Jackson was tried and acquitted of sexual abuse.
— With Post wires
