Explosion at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department facility leaves 3 deputies dead

By Austin Turner, Richard Esposito, Anna Schecter, Julie Sharp, Jeff Nguyen

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KCAL) - An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility Friday left three deputies dead, officials said.

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

During a news conference Friday morning, Sheriff Robert Luna said the incident was the largest loss of life for the department since 1857, just 7 years after the county's founding.

"Between all three sworn members, they had served our community proudly for 74 years," Luna said. He later called the deputies "elite" and "fantastic experts" on LASD's Arson Explosives Detail.

Luna declined to name the fallen deputies on Friday morning, citing their grieving families. He said he'd already met with family members of two of the three deputies.

Senior law enforcement officials who were briefed on the investigation told CBS News that authorities in Los Angeles are actively investigating the explosion as having possibly been triggered by material recovered yesterday that exploded this morning. 

The material is probably not an improvised explosive device, and the incident does not appear to be a training accident, the sources said. 

According to a LASD spokesperson, the explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Special Enforcement Bureau at the facility.

Luna on Friday morning declined to answer questions about how the events unfolded, citing the ongoing investigation. The scene was rendered safe for investigators to enter just minutes before he took the podium, he added.

"There's a lot more that we don't know than we do know," he said, adding it's too early to say what the deputies were doing when the blast happened. "But our intent is to look at this from the very beginning and figure out what is it exactly that caused this tragic event." 

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.

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 confirming 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. 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."

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.