Police have revealed the identiy of the suspect they believe bombed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California – the suspect ‘had nihilistic intentions’ the FBI said
A suspect accused of setting off a deadly car bomb outside a fertility clinic has been identified. Cops say 25-year-old man Guy Edward Bartkus “had nihilistic ideations” when he set off the explosion that rocked Palm Springs, California.
FBI investigators have said they believe Bartkus was the only fatality during the incident, that saw explosives detonated outside the American Reproductive Centres clinic in Palm Springs. Four people were also injured, while all of the embryos at the facility were saved.
Akil Davis, the head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said during a Sunday news conference that investigators were reviewing writings left behind by Bartkus that could shed light on his state of mind. Previous reports said that the writings communicated a belief that the world should not be populated.
Investigators called the explosion on Saturday an “intentional act of terrorism.” The suspect posted writings online and attempted to record the explosion, though authorities said the video failed to upload online.
“Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,” Davis said yesterday. He also said investigators were not looking for anyone else.
A burned-out vehicle was seen in the parking lot behind the clinic after the blast, which caved in the building’s roof, sprayed debris across a five-lane road and shattered windows in businesses blocks away. The clinic was closed for the weekend, and the doctor who leads it said its staffers were safe. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” said Dr Maher Abdallah.
Palm Springs mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto called the clinic “a place of hope”. “This is a building that people go to to start or expand their families,” she said. “We acknowledge their pain and concern across the community for the patients and staff.”
Rhino Williams, 47, said he was chatting with customers at a hotel restaurant he helps manage just over a block away when he heard a huge boom. Everything rattled, Mr Williams said, and he sprinted to the scene to see if anyone needed help.
Mr Williams covered his nose with his shirt as he smelled burning plastic and rubber. He said he saw a building that had “blown out” into the street, with bricks and debris scattered everywhere, and he spotted a car’s front axle on fire in the parking lot.
It was the only car in the lot, said Mr Williams, who ran into the building, calling out and peering behind the counter to see if anyone was inside. He did not hear a response and did not see anyone behind the counter.
Williams then ran around checking on other buildings. Multiple windows of the neighbouring liquor store were also blown out.
The Trump administration condemned the attack. “The Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America,” attorney general Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.”