As Palm Springs reels from the car bombing targeting a fertility clinic over the weekend, attention is now turning to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s prime suspect: Guy Edward Bartkus.
Bartkus was killed in the explosion on Saturday, with investigators now working to uncover a possible motive after he was accused of orchestrating the California attack, which wounded four bystanders.
Newsweek reached out to the FBI via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The FBI described the bombing as an “intentional act of terrorism” targeting the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) clinic, which offers various services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing.
Bartkus had reportedly left behind evidence suggesting he was a “pro-mortalist” (believing death is preferable to living) or an “anti-natalist” (believing no more human beings should be born).
What To Know
Bartkus was identified as the key suspect by the FBI on Sunday, after his body was discovered near a burned-out vehicle outside the clinic.
He had reportedly attempted to livestream the explosion, with a camera found set up on a tripod nearby, although no footage was uploaded online.
The assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, Akil Davis, said during a press briefing on Sunday: “This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake: we are treating this…as an intentional act of terrorism.”
What Happened in the Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing?
The explosion ripped through the area shortly before 11 a.m. on Saturday, with the blast severely damaging the building housing the ARC clinic and shattering the windows in premises nearby.
Four bystanders suffered minor wounds, authorities said, but no one from the clinic was hurt, and all the stored eggs and embryos were undamaged.
First responders rushed to the scene, although the investigation into the attack has been handed to the FBI.
Who Is Guy Edward Bartkus?
The FBI has named Guy Edward Bartkus as their prime suspect.
Bartkus was a 25-year-old who lived in Twentynine Palms, an area about an hour away from Palm Springs.
He left behind a stash of concerning content, authorities revealed on Sunday.
Davis, speaking on behalf of the FBI, described Bartkus’s writings as expressing “nihilistic ideations,” while U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in the area, described his message as “anti-pro-life.”
A manifesto allegedly written by Bartkus later circulated online espousing pro-mortalist views.
And detectives also found a 30-minute audio recording that was potentially linked to Bartkus, according to news station KTLA. The clip features a man describing his “anti-life” views, his opposition to IVF, and anger that he exists because “nobody got my consent to bring me here.” The speaker said he hoped to “sterilize this planet of the disease of life.”
Bartkus’s father, Richard Bartkus, told KTLA that his son had once “burned the house down” when he was a little boy.
What People Are Saying
Richard Bartkus told KTLA of his son, Guy Edward Bartkus: “After he had burned the house down, he started changing a little bit—he’d light fires. I was too strict for him, so he wanted to stay with Mom until the divorce came through. Mom was lenient.”
His son was “a follower who was easily influenced by others,” he added.
What Happens Next
Davis said that authorities are combing through evidence and tips received in the investigation.
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