By Omar Younis and Sarah N. Lynch PALM SPRINGS, California (Reuters) -An FBI official said on Sunday investigators have identified a suspect connected to a bombing near a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, and said he held “nihilistic ideations.” The official identified the suspect as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus. “We are fairly confident that […]
U.S.
FBI identifies suspect in Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing
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By Omar Younis and Sarah N. Lynch
PALM SPRINGS, California (Reuters) -An FBI official said on Sunday investigators have identified a suspect connected to a bombing near a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, and said he held “nihilistic ideations.”
The official identified the suspect as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus.
“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 at a press conference.
“The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF (in vitro fertilization) facility. Make no mistake. We are treating this … as an intentional act of terrorism.”
A bomb detonated shortly before 11 a.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Saturday in or near a car parked outside the clinic, which was operated by American Reproductive Center.
One person was killed and at least four were injured in the blast. Officials said on Sunday that no embryos stored inside the clinic were harmed by the blast.
Davis said the FBI believes Bartkus died in the blast, and that he had been trying to livestream the attack. His body was discovered near the vehicle – a 2010 silver Ford Fusion.
Davis added that the FBI was conducting a court-approved search at the suspect’s home.
“We do not believe that there’s an ongoing threat to the public,” he added.
Davis said the FBI is tracking “a possible manifesto” as part of its investigation.
U.S. media outlets reported a website contained messages that appeared to be linked to the suspect, in which he laid out a loose argument against human life.
“Basically, I’m a pro-mortalist,” the author wrote, according to a description of the site in the Los Angeles Times.
Video posted online after the attack showed the single-story 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.
Officials said they are receiving hundreds of tips and collecting evidence, including pieces of the vehicle that exploded and were strewn several hundred feet in every direction.
Davis said it is considered the largest bombing crime scene in southern California history.
Bartkus was not known to the FBI prior to the incident.
(Reporting by Omar Younis in Palm Springs, California and Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot and Rod Nickel)