US authorities name California health clinic blast suspect – DW – 05/18/2025
A bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, killing one person. The FBI characterized the explosion as an "act of terrorism," later identifying a 25-year-old as the suspect.
Police investigating a bombing at a fertility clinic in the US city of Palm Springs, California have identified a 25-year-old male as the suspect and the only fatality in Saturday's explosion.
Authorities told a press conference on Sunday that they were "fairly confident" that the suspect was the man who died in the explosion.
Four others were injured in the bombing, which the FBI has said was a terrorist act.
The suspect was a resident of Twentynine Palms, a town about 35 miles (57 kilometers) from Palm Springs, a popular desert resort city near Los Angeles.
Palm Springs' mayor said the bomb was either in or near a car next to the IVF clinic Image: picture alliance/dpa/ABC7 Los Angeles via AP
What do we know about the investigation?
Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, told reporters that "all of the embryos" at the fertility clinic were saved.
"The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack" against the facility that provides In vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, Davis said.
"Good guys one, bad guys zero," he added.
The FBI agent said police had searched the suspect's home in Twentynine Palms and had evacuated some residents as a precaution.
The suspect reportedly posted a manifesto online and tried to record the explosion, but officials said the video had failed to upload.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday evening, Davis had said, "make no mistake — this is an intentional act of terrorism."
Authorities said that the blast outside a Palm Springs fertility clinic was caused by a bomb Image: ABC AFFILIATE KABC via REUTERS
No ongoing threat to the public
"We do not believe that there's an ongoing threat to the public in the Twentynine Palms area," Davis added.
Local police chief Andy Mills said Palm Springs would be "stronger and more resilient as a result" of the attack, which he said had failed.
"Our determination to continue life as we know it here in Palm Springs continues unabated," Mills said.
What did the clinic say?
Dr. Maher Abdallah, the director of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, confirmed that his clinic was damaged.
In a phone interview with The Associated Press, he said that all of his staff were safe and accounted for.
"I really have no clue what happened," Abdallah said. "Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients."
The explosion damaged the office space where consultations with patients are conducted, but the IVF lab and all of the stored embryos were unharmed, Abdallah said.
*Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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