TORRANCE, California. – An urgent investigation is underway in Torrance after an apparent an explosive device was located outside the courthouse Tuesday morning with a ticket nearby.

SkyFOX was above the stage when a robot poked what looked like an orange bag or balloon, which exploded.

Also visible from SkyFOX was a letter next to the device that said in all caps, “these are getting bigger” and what appeared to be a collection of possible BBs or pellets nearby.

A note found next to an apparent explosive device outside the Torrance courthouse.

“It was a pretty loud bang,” Carolina Castro said. “It scared a lot of people. Car alarms went off. I heard a lady scream. It was pretty crazy.”

Castro was across the street at the time of the explosion. He’s in town from Las Vegas for a court case.

“I can still hear the rings,” Castro said. “It’s a little disturbing. Something I won’t forget when I get back to Vegas.”

According to a written statement of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Departmentaround 7 a.m., staff at the Torrance Courthouse were alerted to a suspicious package about 100 feet from the main entrance.

LASD technicians responded to the scene and deployed a robot to assess and ensure the package was safe.

Deputies at the scene described the package as “an explosive device” that looked like a large orange bag or balloon next to a cooler.

“A deputy informed me that someone left a package at 2 in the morning,” said EJ Montanez, attorney. “It’s probably a dumb joke. What a terrible practical joke.”

An FBI spokesperson confirmed they responded to the scene, along with Torrance police and the LASD. The spokesperson told FOX 11 that LASD’s “further evaluation of the evidence will determine investigative strategy moving forward.”

“As a precaution, the Torrance Courthouse has remained closed for the remainder of the day and will reopen on Thursday, November 14th. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Arson Explosives Detail is actively investigating the incident with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” LASD said in a written statement.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact LASD through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or tearstoppers.org.