Explosion at Southern California Courthouse Injures 2, Suspect Detained by Cops

An explosive device that authorities said was intentionally set has injured two people at a California courthouse on Wednesday, authorities said. The blast came from an “an intentionally set” explosive device and following the blast the courthouse complex in California’s Santa Maria was closed for the day.

One person of interest was detained following the blast reported shortly after 8:45 a.m. at the Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Maria, sheriff’s officials said. The small city of about 110,000 people in Santa Barbara County is in California’s central coast region.

Authorities confirmed two reports of non-life-threatening injuries. The person detained was identified as a man and the blast came from an intentionally set explosive device. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department declined to provide more information immediately.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom stated they were monitoring the situation and coordinating with local law enforcement. The courthouse complex was closed for the day, and all courtroom calendars were cancelled.

The incident at the courthouse in Santa Maria, located about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is still under investigation.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)