3 Deputies Killed in Explosion at LA Training Center

At least three deputies were killed in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility on Friday morning, authorities said.

Los Angeles County firefighters were dispatched at 7:27 a.m. PDT for an explosion by 1000 N. Eastern Avenue in East L.A., which is near the sheriff department's Eugene Biscailuz Regional Training Academy, 5 miles east of L.A. City Hall.

No cause for the explosion has been announced.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the fatalities while announcing federal agents were responding to the incident.

"I just spoke to @USAttyEssayli about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles," Bondi posted to X.

"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."

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said in a statement that this "explosion has claimed the lives of at least three deputies."

"My condolences to the families and everyone impacted by this loss," added the federal lawmaker, who represents this neighborhood where the blast happened.

The L.A. City Fire Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and the LAPD bomb squad responded to the scene, Mayor Karen Bass said.

"The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast," Bass said in a statement.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement that the governor had been briefed on the "reported explosion."

"The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, @Cal_OES, is in contact with the Sheriff’s Department and closely monitoring the situation, and has offered full state assistance," the statement posted to X said.

Hilda Solis, who represents the L.A. County Board of Supervisors district where the blast happened, said she's been in close contact with Sheriff Robert Luna.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred this morning at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Biscailuz Training Academy in East Los Angeles," Supervisor Solis said in a statement.

"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. I am in contact with Sheriff Robert Luna and closely monitoring the situation as we await further details. My thoughts are with all those grieving and the first responders who are on the scene."

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department is the nation's largest local sheriff's agency. Deputies patrol L.A. County courthouses, jails, unincorporated communities in the county and provides police services to cities that contract with the department.