Torrance courthouse closed after bomb squad responds to suspicious bag and cryptic note

A suspicious bag seemingly abandoned on a bench prompted the shutdown of the Torrance courthouse early Wednesday and drew the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad to the scene. Investigators have not officially confirmed whether the liquid-filled bag was determined to be a bomb or other explosive, but one law enforcement source familiar with the situation told The Times it “for sure was intended to hurt someone.” The source — who asked not to be identified as they were not authorized to speak on the record — also said video cameras captured footage of a man in a hoodie planting the bag along with a note. The note did not describe a clear motive, the source said, but indicated a desire to cause harm and included claims that the man had “killed before.” Authorities said the incident started around 7:30 a.m., when the Sheriff’s Department responded to a call for service at the courthouse on Maple Avenue, a few hundred feet from both the Torrance Police Department and Torrance City Hall. Officials said the department’s bomb squad and crime lab teams showed up around 9 a.m., and focused their attention on the unattended bag sitting next to a large blue cooler on top of a bench in front of the building.