Updated May 18, 2025 at 10:46 PM EDT
Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, has been identified as the primary suspect in the fatal explosion outside a California fertility clinic Saturday morning.
Investigators also said that they suspect Bartkus was the sole fatality in the Palm Springs blast, which injured four others.
"We are working through some other technical means to positively identify the decedent here, but we believe at this moment based on the evidence that we've gathered that that is Mr. Bartkus as the decedent here," Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said at a Sunday morning press conference.
Davis reiterated that law enforcement is treating the bombing as an act of terrorism and said investigators have gathered some clues showing Bartkus' state of mind, including online posts and other writings that investigators are now examining. "The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility."
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller confirmed that the agency was also investigating evidence "indicating antinatalist views." Antinatalism refers to a belief system that suggests it is wrong to have children.
Davis added that investigators believe Bartkus was attempting to live stream the bombing.
Law enforcement officials also executed a search warrant in Bartkus's hometown of Twentynine Palms, nearly 60 miles northeast of Palm Springs.
Davis said this was the first time Bartkus had appeared on the FBI's radar but that he may have had contacts with other law enforcement agencies.
The bomb used was powerful enough "to throw pieces of vehicle hundreds of feet in the air and then several blocks away. You can use your imagination for how big that that bomb device was," Davis said. He would not comment on the type of materials used in the bomb, saying it was still under investigation. Bartkus was driving a silver 2010 Ford Fusion sedan, Davis said.
Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills said Sunday that the public was not in any more danger. "I am absolutely confident that this city is safe. There is no continuing threat to our community as a result of this incident," he said.
American Reproductive Centers said Saturday in a post on Facebook that a vehicle had exploded in the parking lot near its Palm Springs facility earlier in the day. The clinic said no staff members were hurt and there was no damage to any of its eggs, embryos and reproductive material.
"This moment has shaken us—but it has not stopped us," the post reads. "We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday evening that she had been briefed on the explosion. "We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America," she said in a post on X. "Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable."
Bomb technicians were scouring the blast site over the weekend as part of the ongoing investigation, which was being led by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
First responders arrived at the scene around 11 a.m. local time Saturday morning to find a debris field stretching over 250 yards, Davis said.
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