At least five people have been injured after an explosion at a courthouse in California.
At 8:48 a.m. local time, a “bomb-like” explosion was reported at the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse. Police cleared the building and detained one adult man in connection to the incident.
“Explosion was from an intentionally set improvised explosive device,” said the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Raquel Zick in a post on X.
The public was asked to avoid the area while the crime scene remains active.
“The bomb team is processing the scene and the suspect is still being interviewed,” Zick wrote in a subsequent post.
Santa Maria is located in Santa Barbara County about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The city has a population of approximately 110,000. The courthouse gained notoriety as the location of Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial in 2005.
The five injured victims are being treated at Marian Regional Medical Center.
“Three are in fair condition, while two are in good condition,” Sandy Doucette, a spokesperson for the hospital, told CNN. “We are providing them with the highest level of care and support.”
In addition to the courthouse, the Santa Maria City Hall, the public library, and other local government offices were closed.
St. Mary's School, a nearby Catholic school for students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, went into lockdown after the explosion. Ultimately, administrators sent the students home by 11:30 a.m.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced on X that it was “monitoring the situation.”
“The Department provides security for 37 courthouses in Los Angeles County,” the LASD wrote. “As a precaution we are on heightened alert and providing extra patrols in and around our courts. At this time there are no credible threats to any courthouses in Los Angeles County.”
Congressman Salud Carbajal, who represents California’s 24th District, also put out a statement saying he and his team were “actively monitoring” the situation and that they are “in touch with local law enforcement.”
“As we await more information, please join me in sending your thoughts to those injured & thanking our first responders on the scene,” the congressman wrote on X.
