The suspect believed to have set off a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in California has been identified. The attacker was identified as 25-year-old man who described himself as a “pro-mortalist” who detonated a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on Saturday, killing himself and leaving four others injured, according to sources.
Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms is suspected to have set off an explosive device in his vehicle outside the American Reproductive Centers, a facility that offers IVF, egg retrieval, and other fertility-related procedures, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to The New York Post. Police have not yet revealed the suspect’s name.
Pro-Mortalist Attacker
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Bartkus had allegedly shared his extreme pro-death views in both written and recorded manifestos, arguing that bringing new life into the world without consent is wrong and only leads to future suffering, KCAL News reported.
Following the deadly attack on Saturday, FBI agents searched his home, evacuating the surrounding area and declaring it a “blast zone” due to fears that more explosives may have been left behind, according to ABC7.
Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, confirmed at a late-night press briefing that the agency was leading the investigation but did not clarify whether the raid was directly tied to the deadly bombing outside the IVF clinic in Palm Springs.
The FBI confirmed that the suspect was the only person who died in the explosion.
According to reports, tactical units, armored vehicles, and bomb squad members in full protective gear surrounded the suspect’s residence. Witnesses on the scene heard a loud explosion and officials shouting “fire in the hole,” a phrase typically used during a controlled detonation.
The home is roughly an hour from the American Reproductive Centers, where the FBI has labeled the bombing an “intentional act of terrorism.”
Gory Scene
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The explosion at the reproductive clinic took place around 11 a.m. local time, prompting a response from firefighters. Photos and videos from the scene showed shattered glass and debris scattered across the road in front of the facility, as firefighters worked outside the building.
Unverified social media posts suggested that charred human remains were found at the blast scene. Smoke rose above the area, and locals told The Desert Sun they noticed a strange smell in the air after the explosion, which was powerful enough to be felt up to three miles away.
According to an internal briefing obtained by the LA Times, police recovered two rifles—an AK-47 and an AR-style weapon—along with ammunition near the vehicle that detonated.
Thomas Bickel, a local, shared with ABC7 that deputies came to his door and told him he needed to evacuate immediately. “There was just a bunch of sheriff’s deputies going door to door, telling everyone to leave,” Bickel told the outlet.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of activity, like at that point, none of this was closed down yet. My little house happened to be the closest house to the house that they’re investigating, so I was one of the first ones to get told to evacuate,” he said.
Bickel said the incident has left him in shock, particularly because of how close his family had been to the possible threat.
