An explosion early Friday at a law enforcement training center in Los Angeles has killed at least three sheriff’s deputies, according to initial reports.
The blast occurred at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Biscailuz Training Academy center in East Los Angeles. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, per The New York Times.
The explosion happened at about 7:25 a.m. local time. The identities of the deputies who were killed were not immediately confirmed, according to Fox News.
The incident is being investigated at least preliminarily as a possible training accident, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
In a post on X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote that “our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more.”
“Please pray for the families of the sheriff’s deputies killed,” she added.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he’s been briefed on the matter, which occurred at the LA County Sheriff’s Special Operations Bureau in East Los Angeles, per AP.
According to Fox News, the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene to support and help with the investigation.
Fox News reported that it appears the incident occurred when deputies on the training facility property were moving ordnance.
The facility was evacuated and ambulances were requested at the scene for injuries, according to the reports.
According to The New York Times, Hilda Solis, a Los Angeles County supervisor whose district includes the training center, said she had been in contact with County Sheriff Robert Luna about the explosion.
“My heart goes out to the families, friends and colleagues of the three individuals who lost their lives in what appears to have been a devastating explosion,” Solis said, per The New York Times.