Explosion at LA County Sheriff Training Facility

On Friday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that one of the two grenades discovered at the Santa Monica Townhomes complex is missing. This follows an explosion that led to three deputies being unaccounted for.

The day prior to the explosion, members of the sheriff’s arson and explosives unit had assisted Santa Monica police after two “hand-bucket-like devices” were found in a storage unit in the underground garage. Luna mentioned that the device was thought to be “inactive” based on X-ray results, but it was still being taken to the Viscales Center Training Academy for safe disposal.

Deputies Identified

Kenny Cooper, a special agent with the ATF’s Los Angeles Field division, confirmed it was one of the grenades that detonated at the training center. He stated that authorities have meticulously established a radius of over 400 feet from the blast site. An investigation into the status of the second piece of ammunition is ongoing.

Luna firmly denied that one of the grenades could have “fallen” between the storage facility and the training area, expressing confidence that there was no mishap on law enforcement’s part.

Ongoing Investigation

The sheriff did not dismiss the chance that another individual might be involved. He indicated that they are looking into potential connections to the incident but did not elaborate on the number of suspects.

“I can’t discuss specifics at this time, but there are currently no names tied to this situation,” Luna told reporters.

He added that while the ATF’s findings are still preliminary, they anticipate completing the final analysis within about 45 days. The tragic explosion on July 18th resulted in the deaths of deputies Joshua Kelly Ecklund, Victor Rems, and William Osborne, all members of the Special Enforcement Bureau’s explosive detail.