By F. Scott Faulkner
September 25, 2024 – Santa Barbara County, Ca.
On the morning of September 24, Santa Maria resident Nathaniel James McGuire, 20,
was scheduled to appear for arraignment on a felony gun charge. Rather than subject
himself to the whims of the legal system, at approximately 8:45 a.m., McGuire entered
the courthouse and tossed a bag toward the security screening station. Moments later,
the bag detonated, injuring six people who were rushed to Marian Regional Medical
Center for treatment of their injuries.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer
Raquel Zick, McGuire was “wearing body armor beneath his jacket” and was uninjured.
After the explosion, he “attempted to flee by heading toward his vehicle” in the parking
lot but was quickly detained by a security guard, sheriff’s deputy, and CHP officers on
site. Witnesses reported hearing McGuire shouting “antigovernmental obscenities” as he
launched the device.
McGuire was taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County North Branch
Jail where he was booked on multiple felony charges including “attempted murder,
manufacturing an explosive device and use of an explosive device for attempted
murder. He remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
