At least three police officers were killed in an explosion at a law enforcement training facility in East Los Angeles, officials say.
The blast occurred at around 07:30 local time (15:30 BST) on Friday at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Biscailuz Center Academy Training, according to emergency responders.
Authorities say the explosion took place in the parking lot of the facility’s Special Enforcement Bureau. US media, citing sources, report that officers were handling an unexploded ordnance recovered from a recent bomb disposal call when it detonated.
The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, and officials have not yet confirmed whether there were additional injuries.
In a statement posted on X, US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “horrific” and said federal agents had been deployed on the scene and “working to learn more”.
The bomb squad typically picks up potential explosives across the region daily, but it’s a situation that’s always fraught with danger because it’s hard to assess the stability of materials and their age, the Los Angeles Times reported citing law enforcement sources.
The immediate area around the scene has been reportedly evacuated.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Los Angeles Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed about the explosion and he is “closely monitoring the situation”, his office said in a statement on X.
Newsom’s office added that state assistance has also been offered to help respond to the incident.
Kathryn Barger, Chief of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, wrote in a statement that she is “closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred and the condition of those affected”.
“My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time,” she said.