Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, is accused of throwing a homemade bomb inside a California courthouse, injuring five people. Authorities say McGuire was motivated by the loss of his firearms.
**Paragraph 1:** Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, has been federally charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of an explosive in connection with the bombing of a California courthouse on Wednesday. The Justice Department announced Friday that McGuire is expected to appear in a Los Angeles federal court.
**Paragraph 2:** "This defendant will now face justice in federal court for his alleged attack that injured at least five people and struck fear across a county courthouse and an entire community," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Santa Maria Courthouse Bombing Suspect Alleges Gun Confiscation as Motive
**Paragraph 3:** According to federal prosecutors, McGuire entered the lobby of a Santa Maria courthouse on Wednesday and threw a bag containing an explosive device that detonated, injuring five individuals. He then fled the scene on foot.
**Paragraph 4:** Authorities swiftly apprehended McGuire while he attempted to enter a Ford Mustang parked outside the courthouse. During his arrest, McGuire reportedly stated that the government had confiscated his guns and called upon citizens to engage in armed resistance and rebellion.
Santa Maria Courthouse Bombing Suspect Alleges Gun Confiscation as Motive
**Paragraph 5:** Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office reports that McGuire's motive for the attack stemmed from a previous arrest for possessing an unregistered firearm. He was scheduled to appear in court on the morning of the incident.
**Paragraph 6:** Subsequent to McGuire's apprehension, law enforcement discovered ammunition, a flare gun, a box of fireworks, as well as a shotgun, a rifle, additional ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails inside his vehicle.
**Paragraph 7:** Authorities also conducted a search of McGuire's residence, where they recovered an empty can with affixed nails, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and documents suspected of containing instructions for manufacturing explosives.
**Paragraph 8:** All five victims of the explosion sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including burns. Four were transported to the hospital from the scene of the incident, while the fifth individual sought medical attention independently.
**Paragraph 9:** McGuire faces a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
**Paragraph 10:** Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
