Since the May 17 car bomb attack on the American Reproductive Centers offices in Palm Springs, a picture of the man believed to be responsible, and what led him to act, has come into focus.
While some unknowns remain, here is a look at the key facts and what to know about where the investigation stands.
What happened in Palm Springs bombing?
At approximately 10:52 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, a powerful bomb exploded in or near a car outside the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic at 1199 North Indian Canyon Drive.
The explosion caused the clinic building to partially collapse and also caused major damage to several other nearby buildings, including Palm Springs Liquor, a Denny’s restaurant and the Velvet Rope hotel.
The blast was so strong, it rattled windows more than 2 miles away.
How many people were killed and injured in Palm Springs bombing?
Following the explosion, the FBI said that one person had been killed and four people were injured. The FBI later confirmed that DNA identified the body as that of as Guy Edward Bartkus, the 25-year-old man suspected of setting off the bomb.
A Palm Springs resident who was one of the first people on the scene told The Desert Sun that four elderly women who were eating at the Denny’s appeared to be seriously injured from windows that shattered from the explosion.
As of May 18, all of the injured had been released from the hospital, Palm Springs police said.
Who was the Palm Springs bomber?
On Sunday, the FBI identified Bartkus, a Twentynine Palms resident, as the suspected bomber. His home, which he apparently shared with his mother, has been the subject of an extensive investigation following the bombing.
Bartkus’ father described his son as a computer whiz who had a good heart. He said Bartkus built his own computers from the age of 9 and was an avid gamer.
When Bartkus was about 8 years old, his father said the boy burned down their house in a community north of Yucca Valley by playing with matches.
What caused the explosion?
The FBI says Bartkus drove a silver 2010 Ford Fusion sedan to the site of the bombing. He allegedly used a combination of ammonium nitrate and fuel to cause the blast. He had large quantities of the chemical at his residence, which he shared with his family.
A mangled handheld propane torch was found by a local resident, who thinks it could have been used to used to ignite the bomb. The man turned the torch over to the FBI, who he said seemed interested in it.
What was Guy Bartkus’ motivation for the attack?
The FBI has repeatedly called the bombing an “intentional act of terrorism” directed at the clinic.
Authorities say there is evidence Bartkus became radicalized online and developed nihlistic and anti-life beliefs. On a website purpotedly created by Bartkus, he described his outlook as “promortalism,” or the idea that death “sooner rather than later” is preferrable to life, since life involves suffering and ends in death regardless.
Authorities have also said he was a proponent of anti-natalism, a belief that having children is unethical because it only exposes more people to suffering and death.
The FBI has said it has obtained a manifesto that indicates Bartkus targeted the clinic because of those beliefs but had not released the contents of the manifesto as of Monday.
Did Guy Bartkus write a manifesto or livestream Palm Springs bombing?
Much media attention has been paid to a website that surfaced following the bombing in which its creator detailed antinatalist and pro-mortalist beliefs and described plans to commit suicide by bombing a fertility clinic and livestreaming it.
Bartkus recorded the leadup to the bombing. A phone recovered at the site captured Bartkus talking to the camera and going back and forth from the car prior to the explosion, according to the FBI. He stayed in the car for approximately 30 minutes before the bomb went off, the FBI said.
Prior to its removal, the website did not appear to have any footage of the bombing on it.
Did Guy Bartkus act alone?
A 32-year-old Washington man has been arrested in connection to the bombing.
On Wednesday, June 4, the FBI took Daniel Park into custody on suspicion of providing material support to a terrorist. Park allegedly sent 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate, a chemical typically used as fertilizer, to Bartkus and purchased an additional 90 pounds, which was shipped to Bartkus.
He also traveled to Twentynine Palms for two weeks in late January and early February, where the FBI said he and Bartkus conducted experiments with explosives.
The FBI said Park and Bartkus met on an internet forum and the two shared a nihilistic ideology.
Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills told The Desert Sun on Monday that Bartkus discussed explosives with others online as far back as 2022.
What is ammonium nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate is explosive under certain conditions. Mixed with something flammable and exposed to flame, it can explode.
Timothy McVeigh used two tons of ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people in 1995.
But it’s not a danger that exists in many places. That’s because the chemical, once a popular fertilizer, is rarely used these days, USA TODAY reported in 2013.
Ammonium nitrate was the main suspected chemical in a Texas explosion that killed 14 people in April 2013. The explosion at West Fertilizer Co. also injured more than 200 and left at least 50 homes uninhabitable.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, licensed businesses, like fertilizer suppliers or mining companies, can legally ship ammonium nitrate for legitimate purposes. The shipments, though, must be labeled, tracked, and reported.
How Park purchased or sent the ammonium nitrate to Bartkus is unclear.
Was Palm Springs bombing related to abortion?
It does not appear to have been. American Reproductive Centers provides IVF and other fertility-related treatments. And investigators have said they believe Bartkus targeted the center because of his beliefs in promortalism and anti-natalism.
What happened to eggs and embryos stored at Palm Springs clinic?
American Reproductive Centers posted on its Facebook page that all eggs, embryos and reproductive materials were determined to have been fully secured and undamaged following the bombing.
Mills, the Palm Springs police chief, detailed the efforts taken by two responders, FBI agent Chris Meltzer and Assistant Fire Chief Greg Lyle, to protect the eggs and embryos from loss.
“Both men braved the environment to protect the embryos from loss,” Mills wrote. “They went in and got the electricity re-established to protect the incubators and ensured the cryogenic containers were (intact). Then they went into a collapsing building to retrieve medical records so treatment could be given this week to couples dreaming of having a family.”
Previous reporting from several Desert Sun reporters was incorporated into this story.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs bombing: The latest updates on the investigation, suspect and more
Reporting by Paul Albani-Burgio and Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
