A bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday, killing one person and injuring at least four in an incident the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) called an “intentional act of terrorism”.
An FBI official said on Sunday investigators believe they have identified the suspect connected to the bombing as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, and that he held “nihilistic ideations”.
“We are fairly confident that Mr Bartkus is our primary suspect,” said Akil Davis, assistant director at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, speaking to reporters at a press conference.
“The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake. We are treating this ... as an intentional act of terrorism.”
One person killed was near a vehicle that had been blown to pieces outside the clinic, operated by the American Reproductive Centers (ARC), Davis said.
The bomb, which detonated before 6pm GMT, was either in or near a car parked outside the clinic when it exploded, said mayor Ron deHarte of Palm Springs, about 160km east of Los Angeles.
Davis did not comment on the relationship — if any — between the victim and Bartkus in the investigation.
Video posted online showed the single-storey structure that houses some of the clinic’s operations. The bomb appeared to have ripped a gaping hole in one of its walls and caused damage throughout the building.
Several other buildings in the area were damaged, some extensively, authorities said.
California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his office said.
The ARC, which has offices in at least three California cities, provides services including in vitro fertilisation, genetic testing and in-house egg donation.
Despite damage to the building, the ARC said the facility would be fully operational on Monday.
The clinic’s laboratory, including all eggs, embryos and reproductive materials, was safe and secure, and all members of staff were unharmed, it said in a Facebook post.
“The moment has shaken us — but it has not stopped us,” Maher Abdallah, a doctor who runs the clinic, said in the post.
Reuters
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