Man throws bomb outside courtroom, chaos at the Santa Maria Courthouse

September 25, 2024

Correction: The bomb was thrown outside the courtroom, not into the courtroom.

By KAREN VELIE

Chaos erupted at the Santa Maria Courthouse on Wednesday morning after a man threw a suspected bomb outside a courtroom.

At approximately 8:35 a.m., a man approached Department 9 and began screaming that the FDA is poisoning 900,000 people every year, sources said. He then threw a suspected bomb at the screening area and ran.

The device ignited and smoke billowed out from the open door. People were running and screaming, “It’s a bomb!”

Law enforcement from multiple agencies took the man into custody and dragged him away, according to attorney Bill Ausman who was at the courthouse.

The courthouse is currently closed as investigators process the scene. There are no reported injuries at this time.

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