SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Gray News) – An explosion was reported at a courthouse in California, and a suspect is in custody, according to media reports.
The explosion was reported Wednesday morning shortly after 8:45 a.m. at the Santa Barbara County courthouse in Santa Maria, KSBY said.
Authorities told the Associated Press that the device was “intentionally set.”
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office said there were two non-life-threatening injuries in connection with the blast, KEYT reported.
The suspect was taken into custody immediately, and the courthouse has been closed, as well as several city buildings, including Santa Maria City Hall, KSBY said.
A witness 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.
According to the website for the Superior Court in Santa Barbara County said the courthouse complex was closed for the day and all courtroom calendars were canceled.
Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.