California Man Due to Appear in Court Tries, Fails to Destroy Courthouse with 'Bag of Explosives'

A California man expected to appear in court to face gun charges arrived with different plans.

Nathaniel McGuire, 20, allegedly tried to blow up a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California with a bag of explosives on the day of his arraignment, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office.

Craig Bonner, Santa Barbara County Undersheriff said officers received a report of an explosion near the Santa Maria courthouse at around 8:48 a.m. on Wednesday.

"The initial report included that a single individual entered the facility and threw a bag at the screening station [and] that bag exploded," he added.

McGuire was restrained outside the courthouse as he attempted to enter a vehicle alone.

He was seen "wearing body armor underneath his jacket," said Bonner, and did not suffer any injuries from the explosion.

The building as well as nearby residences and schools were immediately evacuated as a local bomb squad cleared the scene.

Four victims were transported to an area hospital, with a fifth individual admitting themselves shortly after.

Investigators spoke with McGuire, who stated his reasoning for the attack was due to his recent arrest on July 28 for firearms violations, according to KSB.

At the time, police discovered a concealed revolver in McGuire's pants pocket that was not registered in his name.

His arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning at the Santa Maria courthouse.

McGuire was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, using an explosive device in attempting to kill someone, and possession of explosive devices.

"We are not absolutely ruling out that there is not something larger at play, but at this time we do believe that this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and there are no outstanding community safety concerns," said Bonner.

The 20-year-old is also being investigated in connection to a string of arson cases.

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Arrested