A California man set to be arraigned on the Santa Maria Courthouse on Wednesday was charged in reference to the on-site explosion earlier that morning that injured 5 people and put the world on lockdown, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Police recognized 20-year-old Nathaniel McGuire from Santa Maria because the suspect within the incident, in accordance with a press launch. He was booked on the Northern Department Jail on felony prices, included tried homicide, manufacturing an explosive gadget and use of an explosive gadget for tried homicide.
McGuire was slated to be arraigned later Wednesday morning on separate prices, after he was arrested on July 28 for possession of a loaded and hid revolver that was not registered to him.
“Through their investigation, detectives learned that McGuire’s motivation appeared to have stemmed from a recent arrest by the Sheriff’s Office on July 28, 2024, for firearms violations,” the press launch mentioned.
Police mentioned McGuire entered the ability Wednesday morning, threw a backpack on the screening station, after which the bag exploded within the hallway. He was detained by a court docket safety officer, a sheriff’s deputy and California Freeway Patrol officers, as he tried to flee in his purple sedan, police mentioned.
McGuire was sporting physique armor beneath his jacket, when he was apprehended, and he was not injured by the explosion, in accordance with police.
4 people have been injured and transported to the hospital from the scene, and one further sufferer arrived on the hospital in a while their very own. Three of the 5 people have been harm with non-life-threatening accidents, together with burns, the police mentioned. All victims have since been launched from the hospital.
Roadways within the space surrounding the courthouse and the suspect’s residence have been closed for a number of hours on Wednesday, police mentioned, however they’ve since been reopened.
Police mentioned detectives are working with Santa Barbara County Hearth investigators “to explore if the suspect is associated with several recent arson fires, and they are in the process of serving search warrants for McGuire’s car and home,” in accordance with the press launch.
“Although this is an ongoing investigation and we are exploring all possible angles, at this point in time, we believe this to be a local incident committed by a local individual, with a local grievance stemming from his arrest,” Undersheriff Craig Bonner mentioned at a press convention on Wednesday.
“We are not absolutely ruling out that there is something larger at play but at this time we believe this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and there are no outstanding community safety concerns. We will be sharing his booking photo and are asking the public to contact our detectives with any information relative to this investigation,” he continued.
