California

California Courthouse Bombing Suspect Charged With Using Weapon Of Mass Destruction—Faces Possible Life Sentence

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A Santa Barbara County man accused of bombing a courthouse in Santa Maria, California, last month and injuring at least five people was charged with additional criminal counts Wednesday and now faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Key Facts

Nathaniel McGuire, 20, was charged by the Justice Department with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices, tacking onto a prior federal charge accusing him of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.

Prosecutors allege McGuire entered a courthouse, threw a bag into its lobby that exploded, injuring at least five people, and left the courthouse on foot.

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After being detained by law enforcement, McGuire allegedly yelled that the government took his guns and that “everyone needed to fight, rise up and rebel,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Law enforcement searched McGuire’s car and found a shotgun, rifle, ammunition, 10 Molotov cocktails and a suspected bomb, with prosecutors reporting McGuire told law enforcement he planned to go back to the courthouse with the firearms to kill a judge.

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McGuire faces a minimum of seven years in federal prison if he is convicted of all charges, and a maximum of life in prison.

McGuire has remained in custody since the Sept. 25 attack and will be arraigned in Los Angeles this Friday.

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Crucial Quote

“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,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.

Key Background

Those injured by the bombing suffered from non-life-threatening injuries and were released by the hospital the same day. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said McGuire’s motivation appeared to be linked to his arrest in July, when he was arrested for possession of a loaded and concealed revolver not registered to his name. Undersheriff Craig Bonner told reporters after the bombing that though his office believed the attack stemmed from frustration over his arrest, law enforcement was “not absolutely ruling out that there is something larger at play.”

Further Reading

Video shows screaming bomb suspect being dragged outside Santa Maria courthouse (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

California Courthouse Bombing Leaves 5 Hospitalized, One Suspect Detained (Forbes)

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