Federal grand jury indicts Santa Maria Courthouse bomber

October 23, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

A federal grand jury today returned a three-count indictment against a 20-year-old man who allegedly set off a bomb injuring five people at the Santa Maria Courthouse.

The indictment  charges Nathaniel James McGuire with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices. McGuire has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 25, shortly after the attack.

McGuire’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 25 in U. S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

“The facts alleged in the indictment are disturbing,” said U. S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “The new charge of using a weapon of mass destruction underscores how seriously we are treating this misconduct and my office’s determination to hold accountable those who seek to bring violence upon our courts, law enforcement personnel, and the public.”

McGuire went to the courthouse on the morning of Sept. 25 intending to murder the deputies working at the security desk near Department 9 and a judge. He tossed a bag containing a bomb at the security desk while yelling “Liberty or Death,” before heading to his car to grab a gun.

Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by law enforcement officials as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe. McGuire told law enforcement he intended to re-enter the courthouse with the firearms in order to kill a judge.

A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted of all charges, McGuire faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Maria Police Department are investigating this matter.