A 20-year-old man is facing attempted murder and explosive charges after a bomb blast at the Santa Maria Courthouse Wednesday that injured six people.
The injured people are all expected to survive. Five of them were treated at Marian Regional Medical Center and released, some had burn injuries.
At a news conference Wednesday, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s officials identified the suspect as Nathanial McGwire. They said he was due in court in the morning to face weapons charges stemming from a July arrest.
The Sheriff’s Department said McGwire acted alone.
The explosion occurred just after 8:30 a.m. while several of the courtrooms in the building were in session.
McGwire allegedly tossed a backpack near the screening area of the courthouse, which then exploded. Deputies subdued him, but a sheriff’s spokesman said it was unclear at the time if there was an ongoing threat.
Witnesses reported hearing McGwire shout comments about being suspicious of the government.
Shane Mellon was in the courthouse when the explosion occurred. He told KSBY that it was a chaotic scene, "I heard what sounded like a bunch of chairs following over, or whatever, but it was a loud bang. The bailiff escorted the judge out of the courthouse and back into her chambers, and and escorted us, evacuated us out of the courthouse out into the front.”
The courthouse was closed for the day and will remain shut Thursday. Other nearby city offices that are close to the courthouse were also closed but are scheduled to reopen Thursday.
The FBI is part of the investigation, and Governor Gavin Newsom posted on social media that state officials are “actively monitoring” the situation.
