A 25-year-old man from Twentynine Palms who posted a rambling, online manifesto against life and in vitro fertilization was identified as the suspect who bombed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on Saturday, killing himself, collapsing the roof of the clinic and damaging buildings in all directions.
Officials are “fairly confident” that Guy Edward Bartkus was the bomber, and that it was his remains found near a burned-out car in the clinic’s parking lot, said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, at a Sunday morning news conference.
Law enforcement authorities also are investigating an angry screed posted online in which Bartkus allegedly calls himself anti-life and opposed to in vitro fertilization.
Davis, who described him as having “nihilistic ideations,” – someone who believes life is pointless – said Bartkus also tried to live stream the bombing.
Bartkus was driving a 2010 silver Ford Fusion sedan with license number 8HWS848, Davis said.
“That’s critical because we need the public’s help in identifying the gaps in our investigation,” Davis said. “We know where Mr. Bartkus was at about 6 a.m. We know the timeline of when he entered the city; However we need the public’s help for identifying where he traversed within the city before the explosion.”
A search warrant was served at Bartkus’ home on Saturday, and his neighbors were evacuated at that time. On Sunday, officials said no further threat to the community exists.
The powerful bomb exploded around 11 a.m. Saturday in the 1100 block of North Indian Canyon Drive in the parking lot of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, which was closed at the time. The explosion sent debris flying for blocks.
Four people who were injured were released from the hospital, officials said Sunday.
Davis declined to describe the type of bomb used or how Bartkus would have built it, deferring to the ongoing investigation.
In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Bartkus’s father told The New York Times he had not seen his son in a decade, and that he was shocked when a relative texted him saying his son was implicated in the bombing.
Richard Bartkus, 75, of Yucca Valley, told the Times that Guy Edward Bartkus once lit the family house on fire while playing with matches at 9 years old, and as a teenager, he made “stink bombs” and “smoke bombs.”
“Nothing major, nothing like a ‘bomb’ bomb, but he’d build rockets, shoot them in the air,” the father said.
A host of federal authorities descended on the scene on Saturday as crews worked to collect evidence in the sizeable blast area.
Davis called the explosion “probably the largest bombing scene that we’ve had in Southern California. This does eclipse the bombing matter in Aliso Viejo (at a day spa in 2018); it’s that big. For reference, to throw pieces of vehicle hundreds of feet in the air, and several blocks away, you can use your imagination how big that bomb device was.”
However, authorities reiterated Sunday that all the embryos inside the building were safe.
An image posted online by a witness showed what appeared to be at least part of a body near the blast scene, which was later covered with a white blanket. Other images showed the remains of a charred car in the parking lot behind the clinic and the clinic’s blown-out front facade strewn along the street.
Witness’ video showed windows shattered at multiple businesses in the area, including a restaurant and a nearby liquor store. Residents reported feeling the shaking from the blast throughout the city.
The clinic is located across from the Desert Regional Medical Center, which did not sustain any serious damage and issued a statement saying hospital operations were unaffected.
According to the American Reproductive Centers’ website, the clinic opened in 2006 and is the Coachella Valley’s “first and only full-service fertility center and IVF (in vitro fertilization) lab.” Its services also include LGBTQ family building, egg donation and freezing, fertility evaluations and embryo transfer.
Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto said it was significant that the most heavily damaged building was a fertility clinic, “a place of hope.” She added, “This meaningful work must continue.”
Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic, posted a message on social media saying the facility’s office space was damaged but the lab was untouched. He confirmed that no employees of the clinic were injured.
“We are immensely grateful to share that no members of the ARC team were harmed, and our lab — including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials — remains fully secure and undamaged,” Abdallah said. “We are heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and have confirmed that our operations and sensitive medical areas were not impacted by the blast.
“Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is. In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope — because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.”
He added that the clinic would be open for business on Monday despite the extensive damage.
Palm Springs Mayor Ron DeHarte said he was in touch with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office and other elected officials, including Sen. Alex Padilla.
“This act of violence is unforgivable, and I want to be clear: it has no place in our community. The safety and well-being of our residents is our absolute priority,” DeHarte said.
He urged people who find potential evidence to not touch it and instead call the police department at 760-323-8116.
City News Service contributed to this report.