Nathaniel McGuire faces federal charges after allegedly throwing an explosive in a California courthouse, injuring 5 people.
A guy got charged by the feds after he allegedly threw a bomb inside a California courthouse, hurting five people.
Nathaniel James McGuire, a 20-year-old from Santa Barbara, is now in big trouble for recklessly damaging a building with explosives, as the U.S. District Attorney’s office said on Friday.
According to the police report, McGuire crashed into the Santa Maria Courthouse on Wednesday, barging in and throwing a bag that blew up as it hit the ground near the courtroom where people were being arraigned.
Witnesses said he yelled, “Liberty or death!” as he stormed into the building.
After the explosion, McGuire tried to run away on foot but got caught by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies when he was trying to sneak into a red Ford Mustang parked nearby.
Eyewitnesses say he was shouting about the government taking his guns, calling for a revolt and a fight against the system.
Federal authorities said the man threw a bag into the courthouse lobby that exploded, injuring five people.https://t.co/Db12rkBlw2
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When the cops questioned McGuire, he talked about his scary plans, saying he wanted to kill the security desk guards at the courthouse.
He mentioned going back to his car to grab a shotgun, a rifle, and Molotov cocktails, planning to come back and target the judge.
After searching the Mustang, they found a shotgun, a rifle, more ammo, a possible bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails.
They were able to make the bomb safe.
“This guy’s actions are really disturbing,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “He caused injuries to five people and scared a lot more.
His stash of weapons could have caused a lot more trouble if he hadn’t been stopped.”
The cops think McGuire might have been behind the bomb because of a recent gun arrest. On July 28, he was caught with a loaded and hidden revolver that wasn’t registered to him.
If McGuire is found guilty of the federal charges, he could be locked up for at least seven years, with a possible sentence of up to 40 years.