LA explosion at sheriff's department training facility leaves 3 deputies dead
The blast was reported just before 7:30 a.m. Pacific and occurred at the Biscailuz Center Training Academy in East L.A., which opened in 2017.
During a news conference Friday, Sheriff Robert Luna declined to answer questions about how the events unfolded, citing the ongoing investigation. He noted that the scene was rendered safe for investigators to enter just minutes before he took the podium.
"There's a lot more that we don't know than we do know," Luna said, adding that it was too early to say what the deputies were doing when the blast took place. "But our intent is to look at this from the very beginning and figure out what is it exactly that caused this tragic event."
Luna did not identify the fallen deputies, citing their grieving families. He said he'd met with family members of two of the three deputies killed in the explosion. No other department members were injured in the blast or transported to the hospital, Luna said.
The incident represented the largest loss of life for the department since 1857, Luna said. L.A. County was founded in 1850.
"Between all three sworn members, they had served our community proudly for 74 years," said Luna, who called the deputies "elite" and "fantastic experts" on LASD's Arson Explosives Detail.
Senior law enforcement officials who were briefed on the investigation told CBS News that authorities in Los Angeles are actively investigating the explosion as having possibly been triggered by material recovered yesterday that exploded this morning.
The material was probably not an improvised explosive device, and the incident does not appear to be a training accident, the sources said.
According to a LASD spokesperson, the explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Special Enforcement Bureau at the facility.
In a statement posted to X, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said federal agents were at the scene.
"I just spoke to [U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli] about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles," she said. "Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriff's deputies killed."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency was working with local and federal law enforcement to respond to the incident.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that LAPD investigators were assisting at the scene.
"The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast," she added.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell confirmed that the department assisted by sending Bomb Squad, SWAT, and K-9 teams.
"We stand in solidarity with our Sheriff's Department colleagues during this incredibly difficult time and we remain ready to assist in any way we can," he said.
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was briefed on the situation and was offering full state assistance for the response.
California State University, Los Angeles, which is located just north of the facility, issued a statement noting that there was no threat to the campus. An on-campus parking lot is being used as a staging area for the Sheriff's Department. At the news conference, Luna confirmed that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement that she was monitoring the situation and offered her condolences to the families affected.
"I am heartbroken to hear of the terrible tragedy that has unfolded today at an L.A. County Sheriff's Department facility. I am closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred and the condition of those affected," she said. "My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriff's Department during this difficult time. We stand with them and their families as they navigate the hours and days ahead."
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