FBI identifies suspect in California fertility clinic bombing

The FBI has identified a 25-year-old California man as the person investigators say is responsible for an explosion at a Palm Springs fertility clinic. Authorities say the suspect, Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, is the same person who was found near a charred vehicle by the clinic. Akil Davis, the head of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’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. His writings were “anti pro-life” in nature, according to a social media post on Sunday from Bilal Essayli, the US attorney in Los Angeles. Those writings reportedly communicated a belief that the world should not be populated. “The subject had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Davis said. “Make no mistake: we are treating this, as I said yesterday, as an intentional act of terrorism.” The bombing injured four other people in addition to killing Bartkus, though Davis said all embryos at the facility were saved. “Good guys one, bad guys zero,” he said. Saturday’s explosion is “probably the largest bombing scene that we’ve had in Southern California,” Davis added. Authorities were executing a search warrant in Twentynine Palms as part of the investigation. The suspect posted writings online and attempted to record the explosion, though authorities said the video failed to upload. An official who was not authorised to discuss details of the attack spoke on condition of anonymity. The blast gutted the single-storey American Reproductive Centres clinic in upmarket Palm Springs, though a doctor said its staff members were safe. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” Dr Maher Abdallah, who leads the clinic, said in a phone interview. Though the FBI did not say how it had determined the explosion was terrorism, the writings left behind appear to shed light on the person’s state of mind and help explain investigators’ thesis that the attack was targeted and intentional. Four others were injured but details of the severity of their injuries were not shared. A burnt-out vehicle was seen in the car park 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. 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 to customers at a nearby hotel restaurant he helps manage when he heard a loud boom. Everything rattled, Williams said, and he ran to the scene to see if anyone needed help. Williams covered his nose with his shirt as he smelled burning plastic and rubber. He said he saw a building had “blown out” into the street, with bricks and debris scattered everywhere, and he spotted a car’s front axle on fire in the car park. It was the only vehicle in the car park, said 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 also were blown out. Once he saw authorities arrive, Williams headed back to the hotel, he said. Steven Michael Chacon was in his car preparing to turn into a hospital across the street from the clinic when felt and heard a massive boom as the building was torn apart, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the air. Not knowing what happened, he left his car to flee the scene. Glass was all over the ground, and he saw what appeared to be a body part. “I got out of my car and then people started screaming, there were people bloody, there was glass everywhere,” he said. Palm Springs, about a two-hour drive east of Los Angeles, is known for upmarket resorts, golf courses and a history of celebrity residents. 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.” Reporting by Reuters, Associated Press

FBI identifies suspect in California fertility clinic bombing

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}FBI said it believes Guy Edward Bartkus, who died in the Palm Springs blast, held ‘nihilistic’ beliefs, had attempted to live-stream attack

FBI said it believes Guy Edward Bartkus, who died in the Palm Springs blast, held ‘nihilistic’ beliefs, had attempted to live-stream attack