A suspect who intentionally set off an explosion at a Santa Barbara, California, courthouse on Thursday morning has been taken into custody and identified.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Santa Barbara Undersheriff Clay Bonner identified the suspect as 20-year-old Nathaniel McGuire, of Santa Maria.
Bonner said Maguire appeared in Santa Maria court Wednesday morning for arraignment following his recent arrest on firearms violation charges.
Maguire, who authorities say was wearing a bulletproof vest, threw the bag containing the explosives at a security checkpoint and then tried to flee but was taken into custody outside the courthouse, Bonner said.
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The call came in at 8:48 a.m., Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office spokesperson Raquel Zick wrote in a post on X.
“The individual in custody is an adult male. The explosion was a deliberately set improvised explosive device,” Zick continued. “We have reports of two people with non-life-threatening injuries. One suspect was immediately detained. The scene remains disturbed. Please continue to avoid the area.”
In total, five patients were taken to the hospital, four were transported from the scene and one was transported to the hospital on his own. Three patients were treated for burns and released, according to officials.
Authorities said no court staff were injured in the explosion.
Authorities believe the incident was the result of local discontent stemming from Maguire's previous arrest.
Investigators are also looking into whether Maguire was involved in other recent arsons.
Local law enforcement is working with the FBI and federal prosecutors to determine whether to file federal charges. For now, the case remains local.
The courthouse will be closed Thursday, officials said.
Maguire was booked into the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail on charges of attempted murder, attempted murder with explosives, and possession of explosives. He is being held without bail.
The incident came just hours after a bus was hijacked in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, sparking a police chase.
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The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told Fox News Digital that the suspect shot and killed a passenger, then hijacked a vehicle and led police on a chase that lasted more than an hour before being arrested by a SWAT team.
Police say After shooting at least one person, the suspect forced the driver at gunpoint to continue northbound. Police said other passengers were seen exiting the bus during the early stages of the hijacking.
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A Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team finally stopped the bus at 2:05 a.m. near South Alameda Boulevard and 6th Avenue, about six miles northeast of where the initial hijacking occurred.
Police deployed spike strips to slow the vehicle, which eventually came to a halt before the suspect was able to barricade himself inside.
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The suspect was taken into custody and the injured victim was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition, where he later died, police said. Murder Investigation.
