A day after the explosion that left one person dead and four others injured near the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, the suspect was identified by the FBI as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus.
At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday the 17th, an explosion was reported in the vicinity of North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive, next to a one-story building along a street lined with palm trees.
AP sources said the suspect had posted online his views against those who insist on bringing more human beings into the world.
FBI officials are confident that Bartkus, a Twentynine Palms resident, was solely responsible for the attack. He died in the explosion, and city officials say there are no further threats.
Naomi Soto, mayor pro tem of Palm Springs, lamented the attack on the fertility clinic, which she called “a place of hope […] where people come to start or expand their families.”
Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, addressed the explosion, saying in a statement that “violence against a fertility clinic is inexcusable.”
The preliminary investigation revealed that a car parked in the lot behind the American Reproductive Centers clinic exploded. The blast was so powerful that it caused significant damage and scattered debris widely across the area.
FBI Assistant Director in Los Angeles Akil Davis called the blast “an intentional act of terrorism.” He estimated the debris extended more than 755 feet (230 meters).
Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said in an online post that the blast area stretched for several blocks, with debris strewn across the streets of the desert community east of Los Angeles.
American Reproductive Centers reported that no employees were injured in the lab. Eggs, embryos, and other reproductive materials remained unharmed.