At least three Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were killed Friday morning in a tragic explosion at the department’s Special Operations Bureau training facility in East Los Angeles, officials confirmed.
The blast occurred just after 7:30 a.m. local time at the Biscailuz Training Facility, situated in the parking lot of the Special Enforcement Bureau.
According to sources, the deputies were handling unexploded ordnance recovered from a recent bomb disposal call when the device detonated unexpectedly.
The identities of the deputies have not been released.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed and is closely monitoring the situation, his office stated.
State emergency officials from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) are coordinating with the sheriff’s department and have offered full state assistance, Fox News reports.
The Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) arson investigators and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are actively assisting local authorities in the ongoing investigation.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “horrific” and confirmed that federal agents have been deployed to support the probe.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Los Angeles Police Department and the ATF are all collaborating with local officials.
The area around the