Man Who Set Off Explosion At California Courthouse Had A Criminal Case There

A 20-year-old man tossed an explosive device into the California courthouse where he was about to be arraigned on a gun charge and the explosion left five people with minor injuries and shut down the court complex and other nearby city buildings, police said.

The explosion occurred Wednesday morning in Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 in California’s central coast region. The suspect ran away after the explosion and was captured as he tried to get into his vehicle parked nearby.

The man, who is from Santa Maria, was wearing body armor underneath his jacket, according to Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner, and was booked on attempted murder and explosives charges. Officials are also investigating whether the suspect is tied to a series of recent arsons.

Officials said it appeared the courthouse attack was related to his earlier arrest on a gun possession charge and not terrorism or an act of political violence.

“We do believe this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and that there are no outstanding community safety concerns,” Bonner said.

Read more: AP