Authorities have identified the man behind Saturday’s bombing at a Palm Springs fertility clinic that killed one and injured four others as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, California.
The explosion occurred shortly before 11 a.m. outside the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) facility. Officials confirmed that Bartkus was the sole fatality in the blast.
According to the FBI, the car bomb damaged office areas used for patient consultations but did not reach the in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab. Embryos and other sensitive materials were unharmed.
🇺🇸 #US: At least one person is believed to have died after a car bomb exploded outside the American Reproductive Centers clinic in Palm Springs, California.
The blast caused extensive damage, though all staff were reported safe and the IVF lab and embryos were unharmed.… pic.twitter.com/r2Kk3C8Ywy
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) May 17, 2025
Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Bartkus expressed in writings and recordings his belief that bringing people into the world without their consent was wrong.
The FBI, which is conducting the investigation into the bombing, has labeled the attack a deliberate act of terrorism. Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the attack. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable,” Bondi said.
