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.
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.”
