An explosion at a Pacem Defense grenade factory in Perry, Florida, on Sept. 16 prompted a large multi-agency response, including ATF and Florida National Guard EOD teams. Authorities say one building was a "total loss" but no injuries were reported, and only two staff were on site. Pacem Defense did not comment; Rep. Cory Mills said he had no details and pointed inquiries to the company CEO. The incident is under active investigation while separate inquiries involving Mills remain ongoing.
Explosion at Pacem Defense Grenade Factory in Perry, Fla., Triggers Multi-Agency Response; No Injuries Reported
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., at the U.S. Capitol on July 23, 2025.Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty
An explosion tore through a grenade-manufacturing facility in Perry, Florida, on Sept. 16, prompting a multi-agency emergency response that included explosives specialists from the Florida National Guard. The plant is owned by Pacem Defense, a company co-founded by U.S. Rep. Cory Mills.
Rep. Cory Mills and President Donald Trump.Credit: Cory Mills/X
What Happened
Taylor County dispatchers received reports of an explosion at the Perry facility shortly before 7 p.m., according to the Taylor County Sheriff's Office. Local police and fire units responded; the site had been reportedly closed since late last year. Authorities said only one security officer and one office employee were at the facility when the blast occurred.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Florida Rep. Cory Mills at a New York City courthouse during the criminal trial of President Donald Trump on May 14, 2024.Credit: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/POOL/AFP via Getty
“The explosion resulted in significant damage to one building at the facility, which is considered a total loss,” Taylor County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Stacey Walker said. First responders secured the perimeter until state and federal teams arrived.
Florida Sen. Ashley Moody, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Florida Rep. Cory Mills, and Florida Rep. Mike Haridopolos in Merritt Island, Fla., on Feb. 2.Credit: Saul Martinez/Bloomberg via Getty
Response
Multiple agencies were dispatched to the scene, including the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office, state and county emergency management divisions, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Department of Defense. The Pentagon referred media questions to the Florida National Guard.
Rep. Cory Mills in a photo he posted to Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 13.Credit: Cory Mills/Instagram
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. M. Caitlin Brown confirmed that the Florida National Guard deployed two Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) airmen from the Jacksonville-based 125th Fighter Wing to assist the multi-agency response. No injuries were reported.
Company And Lawmakers
Pacem Defense did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Representatives for Rep. Cory Mills's congressional office did not immediately comment. Mills told Florida Politics on Sept. 17 that he had no details about the incident and referred questions to the company's current CEO. He has said he stepped away from company management before his 2022 election to Congress, though his federal financial disclosures list assets tied to weapons firms he founded.
Ongoing Inquiries And Background
Mills — a Republican congressman who lost his primary in August amid controversies — has faced prior reviews. The Federal Election Commission dismissed an inquiry into whether Mills improperly used business ties to obtain contracts or fund his campaign. A separate House Ethics Committee investigation, opened in November 2025 and touching on multiple allegations Mills has denied, remains ongoing.
No injuries were reported and at least one building at the site was described as a "total loss"; state and federal investigators continue to probe the cause of the explosion.
Authorities have said they cannot release additional information while the investigation remains active. PEOPLE and other outlets continue to seek comment from the agencies and the company.
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