Suspect in California Courthouse Bombing Faces New Weapon of Mass Destruction Charge

Nathaniel James McGuire faces federal grand jury charges. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office

A man who allegedly threw a bomb into the lobby of a Santa Barbara County courthouse, injuring five people, faces federal charges including a new count of using a weapon of mass destruction, according to an Oct. 23 grand jury indictment.

Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria faces one count each of using a weapon of mass destruction, maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and his original charge of possessing unregistered destructive devices.

Authorities arrested McGuire on Sept. 25 at about 8:48 a.m. shortly after the attack. He was due to appear that day at the Santa Maria courthouse for a prior weapons charge.

McGuire has been held without bail pending the anticipated grand jury charges. He made his first appearance on Sept. 27 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles and will be arraigned there on Oct. 25.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.

‘Liberty or Death!’

The indictment alleges McGuire entered a courthouse at Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby from the screening station while yelling “Liberty or death!” At least five people were injured when the bomb exploded in a hallway.

McGuire then ran to the southeast parking lot, where he was detained by a court security officer, a sheriff’s deputy, and California Highway Patrol officers as he tried to enter his red Ford Mustang.

A deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and fireworks in the vehicle, prompting a search that uncovered a loaded shotgun, a loaded rifle, more ammunition, a suspected explosive device (later determined to be benign), and 10 Molotov cocktails. McGuire was clad in body armor beneath his jacket.

Authorities allege McGuire yelled that the government had taken his guns and that “everyone needs to fight, rise up, and rebel.” They established a five-block perimeter around the court complex and evacuated the courthouse, surrounding homes, businesses, and a school.

The sheriff’s bomb squad ultimately declared the area safe, but roads around the courthouse were closed for several hours. The courthouse remained closed until Sept. 30.

McGuire allegedly said his intention was to go back into the courthouse with the firearms and kill a judge and deputies.

Four victims were taken to a nearby hospital, while the fifth arrived on their own. All were treated and released.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said McGuire did not appear to have any physical injuries from the explosion, though his mug shot does show lacerations above and around his right eye, as well as on the right side of his forehead. It’s unclear whether the wounds are from an altercation with officers when he was arrested.

When authorities searched McGuire’s residence, they discovered an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag filled with matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive devices, according to a statement from the Santa Barbara County district attorney.

McGuire was initially booked at the Northern Branch Jail on multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, manufacturing an explosive device, and use of an explosive device for attempted murder.

Authorities say they are also investigating multiple arsons around the Santa Maria area ahead of the courthouse attack. They suspect the blazes may have been set by McGuire.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has said McGuire was seeking revenge for a July 28 arrest on suspicion of firearms violations when he was carrying a loaded and concealed revolver not registered to him. His arraignment in that case was scheduled for Sept. 25, the day of the bomb attack.

“Although this is an ongoing investigation and we are exploring all possible angles, at this point in time, we believe this to be a local incident committed by a local individual, with a local grievance stemming from his arrest,” Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner said on the day of the attack. “We are not absolutely ruling out that there is something larger at play, but at this time, we believe this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and there are no outstanding community safety concerns.”

Possible Life Sentence

If convicted of all charges, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of life.

“Any time an individual commits such an act of terror, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences,” said Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.

Brown said he was grateful that the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office received an indictment from a grand jury.

“This crime shocked our entire community and we are pleased to see that the suspect in this case is being held accountable,” Brown said.

Once federal charges have been adjudicated, McGuire will be transported back to Santa Barbara to face 10 more charges, including two counts of attempted murder, use of an explosive device with the intent to murder, and multiple counts of arson with the use of an accelerant.

McGuire’s public defender, Iboh Umodu, did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by publication time.