The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has not released whether anyone was injured. Authorities are responding to reports of an explosion Thursday at a Santa Barbara, Calif., courthouse. Because the scene hasn’t been deemed safe yet, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office is encouraging people to stay away. Authorities have not made it clear whether anyone is injured.
“There has been a reported explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse. Please avoid the area. The scene is not safe. In a statement, SBSO spokesman Raquel Zick said, “More information to come.
According to local media, police were also searching for explosives at other locations and arrested at least one person.
The incident came just hours after police chased a hijacked bus in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.
The suspect shot and killed a passenger in the car, according to the Los Angeles Authorities Department, or LAPD, and Fox News Digital. He took off and led authorities on a wild pursuit that lasted more than an hour until a SWAT squad caught him.
According to police, the suspect ordered the motorist to head north, having shot at least one person and taken him hostage. Authorities said several people were seen getting off the vehicle during the early stages of the hijacking.
The LAPD SWAT team finally brought the bus to a stop at 2:05 am at South Alameda Street and 6th Street, nearly six miles northeast from where it had first been hijacked.
The police had laid spike strips to slow him down, and after it finally came to a stop, the suspect barricaded himself inside the vehicle.
According to police, the suspect was taken into custody as the victim was rushed to the local hospital in serious condition. He later died of his wounds, police added. For now, the case is being treated as a homicide.
