By Canadian Press

Suspect is detained after an explosion at a California courthouse injures five people

Sep 25, 2024 | 2:41 PM

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — A man set off an explosive device at a California courthouse on Wednesday, injuring five people and leading to the evacuation and closing of the court complex and other city buildings, officials said.

A suspect was detained following the explosion that was reported shortly after 8:45 a.m. at the Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Maria, sheriff’s officials said. The small city of about 110,000 people is in Santa Barbara County, in California’s central coast region.

“Scene remains active. Please continue to avoid the area,” county sheriff’s spokesperson Raquel Zick posted on the social platform X.

Zick later said the person detained was a man and that the blast came from “an intentionally set” explosive device. She said investigators don’t believe there are any other suspects.

“The bomb team is processing the scene and the suspect is still being interviewed,” Zick later said on X.

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The sheriff’s department initially said two people sustained non-life-threatening injuries, but Sandy Doucette, a spokesperson for Marian Regional Medical Center, said the hospital was treating five patients in connection with the explosion. Two were in good condition and three in fair condition on Wednesday morning, Doucette said, without providing details of their injuries.

Shane Mellon told KSBY-TV that he was at the courthouse when he heard what sounded like chairs falling over.

“It was a loud bang,” he said, adding the bailiff escorted him and others out.

Mellon said he 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 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.

The Associated Press