Grenade Killed 3 Los Angeles Sheriff’s Officials, But Second Grenade Unaccounted For

LOS ANGELES — One of 2 grenades taken to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department installation detonated past week and killed 3 detectives, but nan 2nd grenade remains unaccounted for, nan sheriff said Friday.

The sheriff’s officials connected nan Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail believed nan 2 military-style grenades they seized from a Santa Monica retention portion connected July 17 were inert, but 1 of them detonated nan adjacent time and killed nan 3 men, officials said.

A national investigation has wished that nan 2nd grenade remains unaccounted for, Sheriff Robert Luna said. Investigators person utilized X-rays and searched vehicles and lockers astatine nan East Los Angeles facility, arsenic good arsenic nan blast tract and installation perimeter, since nan explosion, he said.

“We person looked astatine everything retired location that we perchance could,” Luna said. He said nan investigation into really nan detonation happened was ongoing.

“Right now there’s a 2nd grenade, that we’re not 100% judge wherever it’s at,” Luna said.

The detonation occurred astir 7:30 a.m. July 18 astatine nan sheriff’s section Biscailuz Training Facility.

Killed were detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn, who were each connected nan Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail.

The time earlier nan explosion, nan item was called to thief Santa Monica constabulary aft 2 grenades were recovered successful a tenant retention portion successful a building’s underground parking garage, Luna said.

The explosives detectives “X-rayed nan devices and believed that they were some inert,” Luna said. The devices were taken to nan installation to beryllium destroyed and rendered safe, he said.

Officials do not judge nan 2nd grenade was mislaid en way from Santa Monica to nan training center, Luna said.

“We judge pinch assurance that did not occur,” he said. Santa Monica is astir 20 miles distant from East Los Angeles.

Biscailuz Training Facility successful Los Angeles.Google Maps

But if anyone sees what appears to beryllium a grenade, explosive device, aliases moreover an chartless object, they are warned not to touch it, and to telephone 911.

The national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will lead nan investigation into nan whereabouts of nan 2nd device, Luna said. The ATF has besides sent its National Response Team to Los Angeles.

“I tin show you pinch clarity from our post-blast introspection that we cognize 1 instrumentality exploded,” ATF Los Angeles Division Special Agent successful Charge Kenny Cooper said. "And we person not recovered immoderate grounds from a 2nd instrumentality connected that scene."

Cooper said investigators, including utilizing explosives-detecting dogs, drones, and cherry pickers to look successful trees, person "meticulously examined nan radius of complete 400 feet from nan blast seat, aggregate times."

"Over nan abundance of caution, we searched a blast area acold greater than nan results of that explosive device," Cooper said.

There has been changes successful really nan sheriff's section handles explosives, including treating each devices, moreover ones believed to beryllium inert, arsenic live, Luna said.

Luna said he has called for a thorough after-action reappraisal section policies. "We're going to move this upside down. We're going to look astatine everything." Luna said.

"We beryllium it to nan families," he said. "And for God's sake, I ne'er want this to hap again."