The man believed to be responsible for Saturday morning’s deadly explosion at the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs has been unofficially identified as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, a resident of Twentynine Palms.
“We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary subject, our primary suspect, a person of interest,” Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, adding that the suspect was not previously known to the FBI.
“Make no mistake. This is an intentional act of terrorism,” Davis said in a news conference on Saturday. “This is one of the largest bombing investigations we’ve had in
Authorities say Bartkus left behind a 30-minute audio manifesto outlining his motivations. In the chilling recording, he identified himself as a “pro-mortalist,” claiming he opposed life itself and believed no one had the right to bring others into existence without their consent.
“I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I’ve decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic,” the voice believed to be Bartkus says at the beginning of the tape. “Basically, it just comes down to I’m angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here.”
Bartkus also expressed extreme opposition to in vitro fertilization (IVF), calling it “extremely wrong” and condemning those who choose to have children. “How much more stupid can it get?” he said.
Law enforcement officials revealed that Bartkus appeared to have attempted to film the attack using a tripod-mounted camera, but the video file reportedly failed to upload to his personal website.
The explosion, which occurred just after 11 a.m. at 1199 North Indian Canyon Drive, killed the suspected bomber and injured four others, who were taken to a nearby hospital. Several buildings in the surrounding area sustained significant damage, and the blast was felt for miles around.
In response to the bombing, a joint operation between the FBI and local authorities was launched in Twentynine Palms. Several neighborhoods were evacuated out of caution due to concerns over a possible secondary blast zone. The area affected is bounded by Highway 62 to the south, Amboy Road to the north, Bullion Avenue to the west, and Utah Trail to the east. Freedom Plaza has been set up as a temporary evacuation center for displaced residents.
This marks the latest in a troubling trend of ideologically driven violence targeting medical and reproductive health facilities. Federal and local authorities are urging anyone with information about Bartkus or the events leading up to the bombing to come forward.
