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Nathaniel McGuire, a 20-year-old California man, has been accused of setting off explosives inside a courthouse moments ahead of his arraignment.
According to KTLA 5, McGuire detonated the explosives around 8:50 a.m. at the Santa Barbara County courthouse on Wednesday, September 25. The 20-year-old reportedly did so minutes before he was scheduled to enter the courthouse for a 9 a.m. arraignment, per Fox 35 Orlando.
KTLA 5 reports that McGuire entered the facility and “threw a bag at the security screening station.” The bag then exploded as McGuire tried to flee to his car. Amid the ordeal, the 20-year-old was reportedly apprehended by multiple officers.
“All of a sudden, you see the blast, and the boom, and then the smoke,” Andrea Castaneda, a courthouse employee, reportedly told reporters, per Law & Crime. “Its just it was scary. It was scary.”
The outlet adds that McGuire “was wearing body armor under his jacket.” Furthermore, he was not injured in the explosion.
According to the outlet, multiple were taken to a local hospital or arrived on their own. Some allegedly sustained burns from the explosion. However, KTLA 5 adds that they all have since been released.
“In the hours that followed, the bomb squad worked to render the scene safe and check for any additional unexploded devices in the courthouse, the suspects vehicle, and at his residence in Santa Maria,” Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner reportedly told reporters.
At this time, investigators reportedly believe McGuire set off the explosives in reaction to his recent run-in with the law. The outlet notes that on July 28, 2024, the 20-year-old was arrested for firearms violations. Furthermore, authorities are reportedly working to determine if Wednesday’s incident is related to other arsons in the area.
Meanwhile, McGuire is being held without bail in Santa Maria Jail, per Noozhawk. Additionally, his charges are expected to include: “attempted murder, using an explosive device in attempting to kill someone and possession of explosive devices,” per KTLA 5.
McGuire isn’t the only individual to end up in custody for his public use of explosives. As The Shade Room previously reported, in July, Cushmir McBride was sentenced to over seven years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Additionally, McBride was ordered to repay over $417,000 in restitution. Furthermore, he and two others received jurisdiction for allegedly blowing up and robbing multiple ATMs and stores.
