Disturbing Details Emerge About Courthouse Bombing Suspect’s Plan To Kill

The suspect in a bomb explosion at a California courthouse on Wednesday allegedly had a plan to kill deputies and a judge, according to court documents.
Nathaniel James McGuire, a 20-year-old Santa Maria resident, is charged with maliciously damaging a building with an explosive, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California said in a press release.
McGuire is accused of throwing a bag containing a bomb into the lobby of Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria as he yelled “liberty or death.”
He told authorities he planned to kill deputies in the courthouse, go to his car and return to the building with weapons to kill a judge. Officials found a shotgun, a rifle, ammunition, a suspected bomb and 10 Molotov cocktails while searching his car.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said McGuire’s motive for the attack appeared to have stemmed from his arrest in July for firearms violations. He allegedly had a loaded and concealed revolver that was not registered to him.
Marian Regional Medical Center spokesperson Sandy Doucette told Newsweek that the hospital received six patients injured in the incident.
Three of the injured victims suffered burns. They have all been released from the hospital.
After the bag exploded, McGuire fled the courthouse on foot. He was captured by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies shortly after as he tried to get into a red Ford Mustang parked outside of the building.
“This was a shocking and unprecedented crime in our county, but, in spite of its audacity, the security of the Santa Maria courthouse was maintained,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement.
As McGuire was arrested, he allegedly “yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.”
“The idea of intentionally setting off an explosive device to do harm and avoid justice in the process shocks the conscience,” Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, said. “Make no mistake, we are committed to holding Mr. McGuire accountable for this blatant act of violence.
If convicted, McGuire faces up to 40 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court on Friday afternoon.
The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate this incident.
The courthouse has remained closed since the explosion. It is expected to reopen on Monday.
After the explosion, California Governor Gavin Newson’s press office posted that it is “actively monitoring the explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse and coordinating with law enforcement authorities.”
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