Tragedy Strikes LASD: Three Deputies Killed in East LA Training Facility Explosion, Federal Probe Underway
Tragedy Strikes LASD: Three Deputies Killed in East LA Training Facility Explosion, Federal Probe Underway
Three Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were tragically killed Friday morning in a devastating explosion at a training facility in East Los Angeles. The incident, believed to be an accident, occurred around 7:30 a.m. at the Biscailuz Training Facility, which houses the department’s special enforcement units and bomb squad.
The fallen deputies have been identified as Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus, and William Osborn, all esteemed members of the Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson/Explosives Detail. Sheriff Robert Luna expressed profound sorrow over the immense loss, stating, “There are no words to express the pain and sorrow we feel. These heroes represented the best of our Department, exemplifying courage, integrity, and selfless service.” Between the three, they served the department for a combined 74 years, with Luna calling it the worst loss of life in a single LASD incident since 1857.
Multiple law enforcement sources indicate the explosion may have involved an explosive device brought back from a seemingly routine bomb squad callout in Santa Monica on Thursday. The three deputies had reportedly responded to an apartment building where a resident found grenades believed to be inert. A separate investigation is now underway at the Santa Monica site, with the FBI, ATF, and LAPD bomb squad assisting LASD homicide detectives to determine if devices found there are correlated to the fatal blast.
A somber procession was held Friday evening as the bodies of the deputies were transported to the medical examiner’s office, with hundreds of law enforcement officers and community members lining the streets to pay their respects. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, and federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, are actively involved in the ongoing investigation.
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