Suspect believed to be only person killed in California fertility clinic blast, FBI says

The FBI said on Sunday that it believes the suspect in Saturday’s explosion at a California fertility clinic, which it described as an “intentional act of terrorism,” was the only person killed in the incident.

Akil Davis, assistant director at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Sunday that the agency believes the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, died in the attack. Officials said four others were injured.

Saturday’s blast gutted the single-storey American Reproductive Centers clinic in upscale Palm Springs, although a doctor told The Associated Press its staff were safe.

“Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” Dr. Maher Abdallah, who leads the clinic, told AP in a phone interview on Saturday.

Officials said on Sunday that no embryos stored inside the clinic were harmed by the blast.

Investigators said the suspect posted writings online and attempted to record the explosion, although authorities said the video failed to upload online. An official who was not authorized to discuss details of the attack spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

“The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Davis said on Sunday.

“Make no mistake. We are treating this … as an intentional act of terrorism.”