An American courthouse was rocked by an explosion Wednesday, injuring two people and leaving a chaotic scene.
An improvised explosive device was detonated at California’s Santa Maria Courthouse shortly after the court opened for the day Wednesday.
Officials said the explosive was “intentionally” put in place.
“At approximately 8:35 a.m., a man opened the door to Department 9 and began screaming that the FDA is poisoning 900,000 people every year, sources said,” according to CalCoastNews.com.
“He then threw a suspected bomb into the courtroom and ran. The device ignited and smoke billowed out from the open door. People were running and screaming, ‘It’s a bomb!’”
A suspect is now in custody as authorities work to untangle the situation.
The suspect has so far only been identified as an adult male, and officials have not yet confirmed any potential motive he may have had for targeting the courthouse.
Witnesses told KEYT-TV that the suspect threw a backpack into the building shortly before the explosion.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office public information officer, Raquel Zick, posted updates that were shared on the department’s X account. She noted only two people were injured in the blast.
Should this be considered a terrorist act?
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Time of call is 8:48. We have two reports of non- life threatening injuries. One person of interest detained immediately. Scene remains active. Please continue to avoid the area. https://t.co/AQoU7cIH6x
— PIO Raquel Zick (@SBSOPIO) September 25, 2024
Zick informed the public that authorities were still interviewing the suspect and gathering evidence, noting that investigations can often be lengthy procedures.
“This stage of the investigation is slow moving and detectives don’t believe there are any additional outstanding suspects,” Zick wrote. “The bomb team is processing the scene and the suspect is still being interviewed.”
#BREAKING There was an explosion in a courthouse in Santa Maria, California. The suspect was inside the court building and threw a bag in front of Department 9 and it exploded. Superior Court Executive Officer Darrel Parker told https://t.co/nt18nGatho. The suspect is in… pic.twitter.com/k88tZOhpUz
— John Zuchelli (@tvzuke) September 25, 2024
The city of Santa Maria announced a mass closure following the blast to accommodate a law enforcement investigation.
Santa Maria City Hall, the city’s finance department, attorney’s office, public library and parks department were all shuttered following the explosion.
CLOSURE: Due to a law enforcement investigation of a bomb explosion at the nearby #SantaMaria Superior Court this morning, Santa Maria City Hall, Finance Department, City Attorney’s Office, Santa Maria Public Library, and Recreation and Parks Department are closed for today.
— CityofSantaMariaCa (@City_SantaMaria) September 25, 2024
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as well as that of Rep. Salud Carbajal, said they were monitoring the situation.
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