15 Hurt by Smoke Bomb at Trinity Network Studio

Fifteen people were injured Thursday when an undetermined type of explosive spewed a noxious smoke in the middle an audience watching the live broadcast lof a program at a Trinity Broadcasting Network studio, police said.

Tustin Sgt. Mike Pettifer said that at 7:16 p.m., somebody “walked into the building, placed the device on (a table) and walked out. . . . Minutes later it went off.”

The device made a loud popping noise and smoke filled the room. One member of the audience apparently grabbed the device, which was contained in a white, purselike bag, and carried it to the street, police said.

People were fleeing the building at 14171 Chambers Road as firefighters arrived.

“As we got here, people were in the process of evacuating,” said Orange County Fire Department Battalion Chief Harold Ferdig. “We helped them evacuate and set up a treatment area.”

Fifteen people were taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana and Tustin Health Care Center with minor respiratory problems, Ferdig said. “Some people experienced nausea and stomach discomfort,” he said.

Pettifer said some members of the audience apparently saw the man who placed the device near the seats. He said, however, that no description had yet been compiled.

Police and fire officials roped off the area outside the broadcasting building and waited for the county’s bomb squad to arrive and examine the smoldering device, which had electrical components.

Police said they had no leads as to who may have placed the explosive in the audience or why.

Trinity Broadcasting Network, which operates KTBN-TV Channel 40, is one of the largest owners of low-power television stations in the nation. The network was founded by the Rev. Paul Crouch in 1974 to broadcast religious programs.