Three Killed In Explosion At Los Angeles Police Training Facility
Three people died Friday in an explosion at a police training facility in Los Angeles, in what one local official called an accident.
"Tragically, they were three sworn members who were fatally killed," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
"No other department members were injured or transported to any hospitals."
Speaking to reporters hours after the incident, Luna stressed that authorities had yet to determine the cause of the blast, but that there was no threat to the community.
"Within the last 30 minutes, the LAPD bomb squad rendered the scene safe," the sheriff said. "We have to go back and investigate what happened from the very beginning. I don't have the facts at this point."
Homicide detectives and personnel from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene, along with a bomb disposal unit from the Los Angeles Police Department.
An elected city official from the area where the blast took place ruled out terrorism and called it "a tragic accident."
"Early on, there were people speculating that this was intentional by, you know, some terrorists, but it was not, is what I'm hearing. It was a tragic accident," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying that the facility's bomb squad was moving explosives following a bomb alert when the blast took place.
Law enforcement personnel enforced a large security perimeter around the parking lot where the explosion occurred, an AFP photographer saw.
- 'Horrific incident' -
Sheriff Luna said it was the largest loss of life for his department since 1857 and that the three people killed had served the country for a total of 74 years. Their names have not yet been released.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that there "appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility" and that investigators were on-site "working to learn more."
Mayor Karen Bass said "arson investigators and members of the LAPD bomb squad are assisting" at the scene in the Biscailuz Training Center in the Monterey Park area.
"The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast," she said on X.
California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said he had been briefed, and was "closely monitoring the situation."
Footage from local station KTLA, which helicoptered over the training center, showed a person in bomb disposal gear working around a truck believed to contain explosives, which law enforcement personnel had covered with a large tent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
7-Month-Old Girl ‘Offered For Sex' By Mother For Rs 35,000. Snapchat Flags ‘Pay Half Now...' Deal
Last Updated: Morgan Stapp is accused of allegedly telling a man on Snapchat that he could assault her seven-month-old daughter in exchange for $400. A woman in US is facing serious charges after she allegedly tried to arrange a sexual assault involving her own infant daughter. Investigators allege that the mother, who lives in Indiana, used a social media platform to set up the encounter. According to a report in People, Morgan Stapp, 32, has been charged with attempted child sex trafficking which is a level 2 felony. The charge stems from a message she allegedly sent on November 1, 2024, through Snapchat. In the message, she reportedly told a man he could assault her seven-month-old daughter in exchange for $400 (nearly Rs 35,000). 'Half now rest after I'll send my address I do live alone, and her dad is not in the picture," the message allegedly read as quoted by People. Snapchat detected and flagged the message to authorities. About ten days later, FBI agents visited Stapp's home in Indianapolis to question her. At the time, she claimed that she no longer had access to her Snapchat account and denied sending the message. During the initial conversation with agents, Stapp also said she had recently switched phones. But the affidavit reviewed by People states she later told a caseworker from the Indiana Department of Child Services that this wasn't true. That information was later shared with federal investigators who then looked further into her account activity. Meanwhile, Detective Kristen Hartman of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department obtained a search warrant for Stapp's Snapchat account. The affidavit showed that only one device had accessed the account. Between October 29 and November 1, more than 7,000 messages had been sent from that profile. One of those messages allegedly read, 'Would you be interested in buying my nudes so I can get baby diapers," and was repeated 81 times. Authorities also found several images of Stapp that were taken after she had told the FBI she no longer had control over the account, the affidavit said. A separate search warrant was then granted for her cell phone. Investigators linked the phone and the IP address associated with her home to the activity on the Snapchat account. The report mentioned that Stapp was taken into custody on July 8. If convicted, a level 2 felony in Indiana carries a mandatory sentence between 10 and 30 years in prison. Initially, her bond was set at $200,000 but was later reduced to $100,000. She remains in jail as of now. She is scheduled to appear in court again on September 15. view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 15:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Obama hits back at Trump over ‘treason' claims: ‘Bizarre, ridiculous, weak attempt at distraction'
Former US president Barack Obama has spoken out against Donald Trump's calls for him to be prosecuted, vehemently rejecting the accusations as 'bizarre' and 'ridiculous'. Trump accused Obama of 'treason' for allegedly 'manufacturing' Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and alleged that the former US president attempted to engineer a 'coup' following Trump's election victory. Obama's office hit back at the claims in a strong rebuke and called Trump's claims a 'weak attempt at distraction' to divert attention from issues surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case. 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' the statement said. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,' it added. The statement by Obama's spokesperson also denounced the claims made in a report released by Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, that alleged a 'treasonous conspiracy' by Obama administration officials. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,' the statement said. 'These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.' Trump posts AI video of Obama's 'arrest' by FBI Obama's remarks come after Trump posted an AI-generated video showing his predecessor's arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the Oval Office. The clip starts with Obama saying, 'No one, especially the President, is above the law', followed by other Democrats, including Joe Biden, stating, 'No one is above the law.' The video, without a disclaimer, demonstrates Obama being handcuffed by two FBI agents, while Trump sits nearby, smiling throughout the arrest. The latter part of the video shows Obama in a prison jumpsuit, sitting inside a jail cell. Previously, Gabbar, in a series of posts on X, alleged that Obama's senior national security team deliberately 'manufactured' and politicised intelligence assessments regarding Russian interference in the 2016 race. She contended that these efforts were part of a coordinated attempt to discredit Trump and 'subvert the will of the American people.' Gabbard declared that her office has submitted relevant documents to the US Department of Justice, calling for a full criminal investigation. (With inputs from Reuters)
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Why is more known about Coldplay 'kiss-cam couple' than Trump shooter? US President responds
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed the investigation progress into last year's assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a reporter questioned the lack of public information about the shooter. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The reporter drew a parallel to the recent Coldplay concert kiss-cam controversy, noting that within hours, the identities and details of a CEO and HR executive involved went viral- while over a year later, little is known about the would-be assassin. Trump claimed that federal investigators have found 'nothing abnormal' in their probe of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, and that the incident was the result of a lone 'nut job' acting alone. The US President was responding to the question asked- "We know more about two people at a Coldplay concert, just hours after that viral video, than we know about Thomas Crooks — one year attempting to assassinate you. What is holding back the investigation on Thomas Crooks?" In response Trump said, "Well, they've reported to me and they've told me things, and they really say they haven't found anything that was abnormal." 'They say that it was just a nut job that was looking to do this," he further said, adding that the Secret Service and FBI 'went into him in great detail' and fully briefed him. 'They gave me the whole thing, and what can I do?' While Trump commended agents and officers for their bravery during the attack- recalling how they 'jumped on me' during the chaos - he also pointed to key security failures. 'The Secret Service was very brave because they, you know, they were right there and they jumped on me. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They made a mistake. They should have had somebody on that roof, and they should have had communication with the local police, who also. I mean, they did a very good job, but they made some mistakes,' he said, referring to the sniper's vantage point that allowed Crooks to fatally shoot one rallygoer and injure Trump before being killed by law enforcement. Trump also used the opportunity to draw a distinction between what he called the 'new FBI' and the agency's leadership under former Director James Comey. 'If it was the old FBI, I wouldn't have believed a thing they said, because the old FBI under Comey was crooked as hell,' he said. Trump insisted that security had since been overhauled: 'We have a whole different group of people now… I think we have the best people anywhere in the world right now. And I think they've learned.' This comes as many critics argue that despite the alarming nature of Crooks' actions, the media has failed to give the story the sustained attention. As the first serious attempt on a US presidential candidate's life since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, Crooks case remains one of the most troubling and under-scrutinised political events in recent American history, they claim with going as far as to suggest some conspiracy in play. What is known about Thomas Crooks so far? Authorities identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the individual behind the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler last year. Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service agents moments after he allegedly opened fire at the stage where Trump was speaking. Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, where he received a $500 'Star Award' from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. However, Crooks' time in high school was also marked by isolation and erratic behavior. Classmates described him as a loner who often wore hunting gear to school and made disturbing remarks. Reports suggested he had tried and failed to join the school's rifle team due to his poor marksmanship, according to the NY Post. 'He was such a comically bad shot he was unable to make the team and left after the first day,' said Jameson Murphy, a former classmate. Another added, 'He couldn't shoot at all. He was a terrible shot.'
