L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and officials held a press conference Friday night to provide an update on the investigation into the deaths of three L.A. County deputies who were killed by an explosion of military-style grenades at a training facility.
The blast occurred on July 18 at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center at 1060 N. Eastern Ave. around 7:30 a.m.
The fallen deputies were identified as Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Detective Victor Lemus, and Detective William Osborn. All three were assigned to the LASD Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the explosives may have been connected to an operation that took place a day before the blast in Santa Monica.
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From left: Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Detective Victor Lemus and Detective William Osborn with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. -
3 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies died in an explosion at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025. (KTLA) -
3 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies died in an explosion at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a training facility where at least three deputies were killed in an explosion in East Los Angeles. July 2025. (KTLA) -
The explosives that detonated and killed three L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies may have been found in a storage unit at an apartment complex in Santa Monica, a law enforcement source tells KTLA. -
The explosives that detonated and killed three L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies may have been found in a storage unit at an apartment complex in Santa Monica, a law enforcement source tells KTLA. -
Investigators with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and ATF agents seen outside a Marina del Rey apartment complex on July 21, 2025. (KTLA) -
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gets a hug from Supervisor Kathryn Barger as he arrives for a press conference after three members of the department were killed in an explosion at a training facility on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) -
Media and law enforcement stage near the site of an explosion at the LA County Sheriff’s Special Operations Bureau on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) -
3 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies died in an explosion at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025. (KTLA) -
The Biscailuz Training Facility, where an explosion occurred, is shown on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) -
3 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies died in an explosion at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025. (KTLA) -
3 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies died in an explosion at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025. (KTLA)
Deputies, including the three who perished, were called to an apartment building on Bay Street to assist Santa Monica Police officers with an investigation into explosive devices found in a storage unit in the building’s underground parking garage.
A woman cleaning out the storage bin spotted the devices and called authorities. Neighbors believe it was likely left behind by a former tenant who was a previous member of the U.S. military and had moved out of the complex around five years ago.
The two military-style grenades, which were believed to be stolen, were x-rayed at the scene, deemed inert.
The July 18 explosion reportedly happened when one of the grenades was being cut in half as part of a training exercise to examine what was inside.
On July 21, LASD officials, along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), conducted a search at a second location in Marina del Rey in connection with the case as they work to track the origins of the grenades.
Details are limited, but footage from the scene showed authorities swarming the Villa Del Mar Apartments in the 13900 block of Marquesa Way. A robot was used to search several storage units in an alley behind the apartment complex and a boat at the marina was also searched.
Investigators have not released details on their findings and so far, no arrests have been made in the case. The explosion was the single deadliest incident for the department in more than 150 years.
“These brave men served with honor, courage, and unwavering commitment to protecting and serving our community,” the sheriff’s department said on July 18. “Their tragic loss is deeply felt across our Department and the entire LASD.”
The fallen deputies served a combined 74 years with the department. Between the three of them, they leave behind 16 children, along with devastated friends and family members.
This story will be updated. The press conference can be seen in the video player above.