A devastating explosion at a law enforcement training facility in East Los Angeles has claimed the lives of three veteran officers. The blast occurred at approximately 07:30 local time on Friday at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, which houses the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s special enforcement bureau and arson explosives detail, including the bomb squad.
According to Sheriff Robert Luna, the officers were “fantastic experts” with between 19 and 33 years of service. The deceased have been identified as Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus, and William Osborn, all assigned to the sheriff department’s arson explosives detail. “They have years of training,” Luna said. “They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today.”
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation, with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisting the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Preliminary reports suggest the officers were working to render a grenade safe when it detonated. The grenade was reportedly found in a Santa Monica garage on Thursday and transported to the training facility on Friday.
“We have to go back and investigate what happened from the very beginning,” Sheriff Luna said, describing the incident as “an isolated incident” with no additional injuries. The area surrounding the facility was evacuated and sealed off as investigators continue to work at the scene.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “horrific” and confirmed that federal agents had been deployed on the scene and were “working to learn more.” California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed about the explosion and is “closely monitoring the situation,” his office said in a statement on X. Newsom’s office added that state assistance had 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 was “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.
Friday’s incident represents the department’s largest loss of life in a single incident since its founding in 1857, Sheriff Luna said. Jason Zabala, a deputy on the sheriff’s department SWAT team, described those who died as “the best of the best.” “When you sign up for the job, you know it’s going to be a dangerous job,” he said, adding that as time passes, “you realize how dangerous it is”.