Suspect in Santa Maria courthouse bombing charged with using weapon of mass destruction
The suspect in the bombing at the Santa Maria courthouse last month was charged with using a weapon of mass destruction during the attack, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
A federal grand jury charged Santa Maria resident Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices, according to a news release.
If convicted, McGuire would serve a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, the agency said.
“The facts alleged in the indictment are disturbing,” United States attorney Martin Estrada said in the release. “The new charge of using a weapon of mass destruction underscores how seriously we are treating this misconduct and my office’s determination to hold accountable those who seek to bring violence upon our courts, law enforcement personnel and the public.”
Earlier this month, McGuire was separately charged with 10 felonies, including one count of attempted murder of a peace officer, identified as a sheriff’s deputy working as a bailiff at the complex, and another attempted murder charge with the victim identified as the Department 9 judge.
McGuire allegedly entered the Santa Barbara County Superior Court complex in Santa Maria shortly before 9 a.m. on Sept. 25 and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire fled the courthouse on foot.
At least five people were injured, the release said.
During a news conference that evening, officials said McGuire appeared to throw the bomb from behind the courthouse security checkpoint, with the device landing in the area of Department 9, the arraignment courtroom.
McGuire was expected to be arraigned that same morning on a weapons charge after he was found with a concealed, loaded revolver not registered in his name in July, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Craig Bonner said during the news conference.
A photo of the bombing scene showed a burned and blackened door with what appeared to be the bag lying in front of it.
McGuire was apprehended by law enforcement officials as he attempted to flee to a red Ford Mustang parked outside the building, according to the release.
He then allegedly “yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up and rebel,” the release said.
Video circulated on social media that afternoon, showing a man purported to be McGuire yelling profanities at law enforcement as they dragged him along a sidewalk.
Deputies allegedly saw ammunition, a flare gun and a box of fireworks in the car. Further search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb and 10 Molotov cocktails, the news release said.
Searches of McGuire’s home unearthed an empty can with nails glued to the outside and a duffel bag with matches, black powder and used and unused fireworks, as well as papers “that appeared to be recipes for explosive material,” the release said.
According to the Department of Justice’s complaint, McGuire allegedly later told law enforcement that as he threw the bag into the courthouse, he yelled “Liberty or death!”
He said he then planned to go back to his car, where he said he would get a shotgun and Molotov cocktails and reenter the courthouse to kill a judge, the complaint alleged.
McGuire has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 25. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 25 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“Any time an individual commits such an act of terror, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences” assistant director of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office Akil Davis said in the release. “If convicted, Mr. McGuire faces significant prison time thanks to the combined efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners.”
The case will be prosecuted by assistant United States attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, with assistance from trial attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 3:07 PM.
