Palm Springs explosion: Guy Edward Bartkus, suspect killed in fertility clinic bombing, left behind ‘anti-pro-life’ writings

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) — The person who died in a vehicle explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs left behind “anti-pro-life” writings before carrying out the attack investigators called terrorism, authorities said Sunday.

Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms was identified by the FBI as the suspect in the apparent car bomb detonation Saturday that damaged the clinic. FBI officials confirmed Monday that DNA evidence collected at the scene was matched to that of Bartkus.

His writings seemed to indicate anti-natalist views, which hold that people should not continue to procreate, authorities said.

The blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic and shattered the windows of nearby buildings along a palm tree-lined street.

Witnesses described a loud boom followed by a chaotic scene, with people screaming in terror and glass strewn along the sidewalk and street.

“It was a pretty crazy explosive. You could definitely feel it,” said Nima Tabrizi. “It was pretty wild.”

Investigators said Barktus died in the blast, which a senior FBI official called possibly the “largest bombing scene that we’ve had in Southern California.”

A body was found near a charred vehicle outside the clinic.

Bartkus attempted to livestream the explosion and left behind writings that communicated “nihilistic ideations” that were still being examined to determine his state of mind, said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.

Investigators collected scrap metal in the street, which was possibly from the suspect’s 2010 Ford Fusion. He turned the vehicle into a deadly explosive device.

U.S. Attorney Bilal “Bill” Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in the area, called the message “anti-pro-life.”

“This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Davis said Sunday. “Make no mistake: we are treating this, as I said yesterday, as an intentional act of terrorism.”

The bombing injured four other people, though Davis said all embryos at the facility were saved. Police said FBI Agent Chris Meltzer and Palm Springs Assistant Fire Chief Greg Lyle helped protect the embryos inside the clinic.

“The building was at a point where they didn’t know if it was going to collapse,” said Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills. “They went in anyway to make sure that the embryos were safe, that the electricity was still on, and they hooked it back up to make sure.”

READ MORE: Palm Springs fire official unknowingly saved colleague’s embryos in deadly blast

Authorities were executing a search warrant at the suspect’s home in Twentynine Palms as part of the investigation. The search continued on Monday, with the neighborhood under evacuation for residents.

“Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” Dr. Maher Abdallah, who leads the clinic, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Saturday.

FBI officials said as part of the probe into the attack, they are looking into other individuals who might have known about the plot. If there was knowledge of the plot, others could be arrested.

“This is just my personal opinion, not professional, but yeah, I believe people knew. Because he was online in chat rooms, he was on YouTube, he was experimenting with explosives, other people knew that. There were all kinds of views and comments on some of those things,” Mills said.

Investigators labeling the attack an act of terrorism is coming at a cost for businesses.

Velvet Rope Hotel Owner David Rios, just one street away from the blast, said it’s going to cost him more than $100,000 in damages.

“The devastating news is that this morning, our insurance called us back and now are saying because it’s categorized now as a terrorist attack, they will not cover anything,” Rios said.

Associated Press writer Christopher Weber contributed from Los Angeles.