California authorities identify suspect in fertility clinic car bombing: Guy Bartkus died instantly
Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, has been identified as the suspect who detonated a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, killing himself and injuring four others. California Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the attack as investigations continue.
The alleged detonator of a car bomb in front of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, is 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, local news reported.
Bartkus lived in Twentynine Palms, an hour away from Palm Springs and the site of a large Marine base. CBS reported that the late Bartkus had ranted about people who bring human beings into this world without their consent.
California police are investigating the cause of the attack
Laura Eimiller, a public affairs officer for the FBI, in an interview with KTLA on Sunday morning, confirmed that the assailant who died in the explosion near the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) on Saturday. Four individuals were hurt in the explosion.
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, on the same day, posted on Facebook about an ongoing police operation in Twentynine Palms as part of the FBI investigation of the Palm Springs explosion. The authorities, however, did not immediately release the suspect's name to the media.
"There are no presently known threats to the San Bernardino County community," the sheriff's office stated. However, they added, "As a precautionary measure, sheriff's deputies will be enhancing patrols at fertility clinics in our county." The FBI also called the attack an "intentional act of terrorism" and said that the clinic was a specific target but would not comment further on how they reached that conclusion regarding the motive.
How did the attack unfold at the fertility clinic in California?
The bomb, which exploded just before 11 a.m., was inside or near a car that had been parked in front of the clinic, Palm Springs Mayor Ron DeHarte reported. An unnamed person told the Associated Press that the bomber attempted to record or livestream the explosion.
Aerial footage showed the burned-out chassis of a car in the parking lot behind the clinic. Although the building was damaged, ARC reported their facilities would be operational by Monday. Desert Sun reported the explosion was audible as much as two miles (three kilometers) away.
Dr. Maher Abdallah, the head of ARC's building where the blast occurred, told the Associated Press that all employees were safe and accounted for. The blast damaged the office section of the clinic where patients receive treatment, but not the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) lab or embryos stored at the facility.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the attack on the fertility clinic by posting on X that he and his wife, Jen, "keep all those affected in our hearts." He also said, "The state is working closely with local and federal authorities as the investigation continues. Please stay away from the area."
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented, "Violence toward a fertility clinic is not acceptable."
