Three Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were killed Friday in an explosion at a training facility in East Los Angeles, a tragedy Sheriff Robert Luna called his agency’s deadliest day since 1857.
The blast was reported at 7:25 a.m. Friday in the 1000 block of North Eastern Avenue, southwest of the interchange of the San Bernardino (10) and Long Beach (710) freeways, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
“There is definitely a black cloud hanging over the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department and our county family,” Luna said during a midday news conference near the facility.
The sheriff assured the community the blast was an “isolated incident” and there was no lingering threat to the community. While the blast occurred around 7:25 a.m., Luna said the site where the blast occurred was not rendered safe by investigators until late morning.
“We don’t know the cause of the explosion, however, the specific area has been closed off,” Luna said.
The sheriff would not confirm reports suggesting that the explosion involved unexploded ordnance that had been seized on Thursday. However, on Friday, Santa Monica police, along with county and federal investigators, were seen searching an apartment complex near Lincoln Boulevard and Bay Street.
A resident of that complex told KTLA5 at the scene that police and sheriff’s officials had been at the building on Thursday to retrieve some old grenades that a tenant found in a storage unit, apparently left behind by a previous tenant.
The search on Friday afternoon prompted an evacuation of at least part of that apartment complex as investigators swept the property for any additional potentially dangerous materials.
Friday’s blast occurred at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center, which serves the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson/Explosives Detail. Luna said the deputies who died were all part of the Arson/Explosives detail and were long-time veterans of the department. One had 19 years of experience, another 22 years’ experience and the third had 33 years with the department. Their names were being withheld pending family notifications.
“There’s a lot more we don’t know than we do know,” Luna said, adding, “We want to make sure we know what happened. We don’t want a repeat of this.”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a report of a possible explosion at 7:27 a.m.
Despite initial reports to the contrary, Luna said no one other than the three fallen deputies was injured.
A neighbor told reporters at the scene that the blast was loud enough to wake him up.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chair Kathryn Barger directed that county flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the fallen deputies.
A law enforcement procession began around 5 p.m. Friday to transfer the deputies’ bodies from the training center for the medical examiner’s office. Dozens of sheriff’s deputies stood in formation and saluted as the bodies were carried to a trio of medical examiner vans for the journey. The vans were then escorted by deputies and other law enforcement representatives on the drive.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was among the federal officials to comment, saying on X that she had spoken with both Luna and U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli. She also confirmed that the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting with the investigation.
“Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more,” she wrote. “Please pray for the families of the sheriff’s deputies killed.”
Luna called Friday’s blast “the largest loss of life for us as the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department since 1857.” That was when Sheriff James Barton and several members of his posse, including three deputies, were ambushed in present-day Santa Ana by criminals they were pursuing. Barton died just three weeks into his second term, according to a sheriff’s department online historical timeline.
Friday’s tragedy is believed to be the worst involving an L.A.-area law-enforcement bomb squad since a February 1986 explosion on Vanscoy Avenue in North Hollywood that killed two LAPD bomb squad members. That blast took the lives of the head of the LAPD bomb squad and another veteran squad member who were attempting to defuse a booby-trapped pipe bomb in the garage of a home where, several hours earlier, a suspect had been removed in connection with an ambush shooting.
Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda L. Solis, Barger and Janice Hahn all expressed sorrow and support following the explosion. Solis said she was deeply saddened by the loss and was in contact with Sheriff Luna. Barger also expressed sympathy and said her thoughts are with the department and victims’ families. Hahn called the deadly explosion “an extraordinarily painful day.”
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said the city was supporting the investigation with LAFD arson investigators and LAPD bomb squad personnel.
“The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of these impacted by this blast,” the Mayor said on X.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, who previously served as L.A. County sheriff, expressed deep sadness “by the tragic loss of life.”
“On behalf of the entire LAPD, I want to offer our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the fallen deputies.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’s been briefed on the blast, and that the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services was in contact with the sheriff’s department and closely monitoring the situation, offering “full state assistance.”
Newsom’s office also announced the state had deployed investigative personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal at the request of the ATF. Those investigators were en route, he said.
Sen. Adam Schiff called the incident “an unbelievable tragedy” and added that he is “praying for the deputies’ families and every member of the sheriff’s office.”
Los Angeles-area Rep. Judy Chu said on X that she was “heartbroken by the tragic news of the explosion … that claimed the lives of three brave deputies.”
“I am monitoring the situation closely,” she wrote. “My deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and fellow law enforcement officers mourning this unimaginable loss.”
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department posted its condolences on X, accompanied by an image of three sheriffs’ badges draped in black mourning ribbons. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn alongside our brothers and sisters of the @LASDHQ on the loss of three deputies who tragically lost their lives this morning. (Praying hands emoji),” the department posted. “Prayers for family, friends and the entire #LASD.”