:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(762x343:764x345)/fertility-clinic-bombing-suspect-Guy-Edward-Bartkus-051925-df80ea06b0554052b3d9a5c485987fae.jpg "Man Who Blew Up Palm Springs Fertility Clinic in Deadly Explosion Left Behind Chilling Writings")
NEED TO KNOW
- The FBI identified Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, as a suspect in the May 17 explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, Calif.
- Bartkus, who authorities say died in the bombing, left behind writings that supported “nihilistic ideations.”
- “This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said.
The man authorities allege set off a deadly car explosion outside a California fertility clinic left behind chilling online writings, according to multiple news reports, which cite authorities.
Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, was identified by the FBI’s Los Angeles field office as a suspect one day after the bombing that killed him and damaged several buildings in Palm Springs on Saturday, May 17.
Palm Springs police described the incident as an “intentional act of violence,” per a previous press release. Police said the blast originated from a “vehicle explosion at 1199 N. Canyon” — which is the address of the American Reproductive Centers (ARC), a facility that performs services including IVF and egg freezing, according to its website.
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Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told the Associated Press that Bartkus left behind writings that supported “nihilistic ideations.”
“This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Davis said Sunday, May 18, per the AP. “Make no mistake: we are treating this, as I said yesterday, as an intentional act of terrorism.”
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According to the Los Angeles Times, an online website that appeared to be connected to the incident suggested that a fertilization clinic would be the scene of a bombing and expressed a goal of “sterilizing this planet of the disease of life.”
Davis said the writings remain under investigation.
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Authorities said Bartkus died in the attack, though it remains unclear whether it was an intentional suicide, the L.A. Times and AP reported. The bombing also left four people injured, officials said, per the AP.
The New York Times reported that the explosion occurred at about 11 a.m. that day, less than a mile from the city’s downtown area. The windows of a number of local businesses were blown out entirely, per the outlet.
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“This morning, an unexpected and tragic incident occurred outside our Palm Springs facility when a vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building,” the ARC said in a statement shared to Facebook after the incident.
“We are heartbroken to learn that this event claimed a life and caused injuries, and our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected,” it added.
According to the AP, Davis said all embryos at the facility were saved despite the explosion.
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