3 deputies killed in LA explosion at sheriff’s department training facility: “There’s a lot more that we don’t know”

An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department training facility Friday left three deputies dead, officials said.

The blast was reported just before 7:30 a.m. Pacific and occurred at the Biscailuz Center Training Academy in East L.A., which opened in 2017. 

While Sheriff Robert Luna declined to answer questions about how the events unfolded during a Friday morning news conference, citing the ongoing investigation, it was later revealed that the deputies were working with recovered explosives in the facility’s Special Enforcement Bureau parking lot.

Senior law enforcement officials said the LASD bomb squad responded to a garage in Santa Monica yesterday, where at least one grenade was found. It was transported to the training facility, where the deputies were working to render it safe, and the explosion occurred.

Luna did not identify the fallen deputies, citing their grieving families. He said he’d met with family members of two of the three deputies killed in the explosion. No other department members were injured in the blast or transported to the hospital, Luna said.

The incident represented the largest loss of life for the department since 1857, Luna said. L.A. County was founded in 1850.

“Between all three sworn members, they had served our community proudly for 74 years,” said Luna, who called the deputies “elite” and “fantastic experts” on LASD’s Arson Explosives Detail.

In a statement posted to X, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said federal agents were at the scene. 

“I just spoke to [U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli] about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles,” she said. “Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriff’s deputies killed.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency was working with local and federal law enforcement to respond to the incident.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that LAPD investigators were assisting at the scene.

“The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast,” she added.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell confirmed that the department assisted by sending Bomb Squad, SWAT, and K-9 teams.

“We stand in solidarity with our Sheriff’s Department colleagues during this incredibly difficult time and we remain ready to assist in any way we can,” he said.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was briefed on the situation and was offering full state assistance for the response.

California State University, Los Angeles, which is located just north of the facility, issued a statement noting that there was no threat to the campus. An on-campus parking lot is being used as a staging area for the Sheriff’s Department. At the news conference, Luna confirmed that there was no ongoing threat to the community.

L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement that she was monitoring the situation and offered her condolences to the families affected.

“I am heartbroken to hear of the terrible tragedy that has unfolded today at an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department facility. I am closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred and the condition of those affected,” she said. “My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time. We stand with them and their families as they navigate the hours and days ahead.”