Explosion kills 3 LASD deputies in East LA; Santa Monica investigation possibly tied to blast

Three members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Arson/Explosives Detail were killed Friday morning in an explosion at a training facility in East Los Angeles, authorities said.

A separate investigation is underway in Santa Monica at a scene the three deputies reportedly responded to on Thursday.

Three deputies killed in deadly explosion at East L.A. training facility Friday morning

The incident, which was believed to be an accident, was reported around 7:30 a.m. at the Biscailuz Training Facility in the 1000 block of North Eastern Avenue, LASD said. The compound houses the sheriff’s department’s special enforcement units and bomb squad.

Multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News that it appears the explosive the depurites were handling had been brought back to the facility from a seemingly routine bomb squad callout and was believed to have been inert when it exploded.

They were identified as Deputy Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Deputy Victor Lemus, and Deputy William Osborn, who were all assigned to the Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail.

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna says the specialized explosives unit responds to about 1,100 calls a year, but it’s unclear what went wrong on Friday morning.

“There are no words to express the pain and sorrow we feel,” Luna said. “These heroes represented the best of our Department, exemplifying courage, integrity, and selfless service. This is not only a heartbreaking loss for their families, but for all of us.”

Between the three of them, the deceased employees had served in the department for 74 years, according to Luna.

Luna said the catastrophe marked LASD’s worst loss of life in a single incident since 1857.

A memorial plaque in Irvine marks the spot where two deputies and two constables — as they were then known at the time — were shot and killed in 1857. They were pursuing a gang of notorious outlaws when they were ambushed. The county sheriff at the time, James Barton, was among the four killed.

The deputies who were killed Friday also worked at the Board of Supervisors. No one else was injured in the explosion.

“I have met with two of the three families thus far, and as you can imagine, those were extremely challenging conversations,” Luna said earlier Friday, choking back tears.

Luna said the cause of the disaster was unknown, adding that the devices involved were rendered safe by responding members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad.

The sheriff said the situation was critical for some time, and it took hours to make the area safe.

They immediately came out to assist after this explosion occurred, to render the devices safe,” Luna said.

A somber procession guided the bodies of the three deputies killed from the scene of the explosion to the medical examiner’s office on Friday evening. Hundreds of law enforcement officers and community members lined the streets and paid their respects.

It’s only a 15-minute drive away, but every mile and every minute was meaningful as deputies and other first responders lined the streets to pay their respects.

Three medical examiner’s office vans delivered the American flag-wrapped caskets, with the families of the fallen deputies wiping tears as they waited.

The sheriff’s department is offering peer support services, as well as chaplain assistance to staff members and the families of the fallen deputies.

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