Who was Guy Edward Bartkus? Alleged ‘anti-life’ man behind Palm Springs IVF clinic blast

A deadly blast at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs has shocked the quiet desert city, and now, investigators have identified the man behind it.The suspect in Saturday’s deadly bombing at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, has been identified as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, a resident of Twentynine Palms, reports BNO News. Authorities say he died in the explosion that injured four others and damaged parts of the American Reproductive Centers facility.Bartkus allegedly left behind a disturbing 30-minute audio manifesto and a website detailing his motivations, and his actions are now viral on social media.In the recording, he said: “I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I’ve decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic. Basically, it just comes down to I’m angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here.”

‘Anti-life’ and against IVFIn the audio, Bartkus described himself as a pro-mortalist, someone who believes life itself is a form of harm. He voiced strong opposition to in vitro fertilisation, calling it “extremely wrong.”“These are people who are having kids after they’ve sat there and thought about it. How much more stupid can it get?” he said in the recording.He reportedly tried to film the bombing by setting up a tripod and camera, but according to investigators, the video failed to upload to his website.

Death of a friendOn his website, Bartkus talked about a friend named Sophie who he said shared his views. “IIRC we had agreed that if one of us died, the other would probably soon follow,” he wrote in a FAQ section.That description appears to reference the case of 27-year-old Sophie Tinney, who was shot dead in Fox Island, Washington, on April 22, reports BNO News. Her boyfriend, Lars Eugene Nelson, 29, was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting her in the head as she slept.

Authorities believe Tinney may have persuaded him to do it.Scene of the blastThe explosion took place shortly before 11 am local time near North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive. According to the city’s Facebook post, emergency crews from police and fire departments quickly arrived and cordoned off the area.A powerful blast tore through the clinic, however, it was closed at the time. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” said Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic.

“I really have no clue what happened.”While some consultation rooms were damaged, the IVF lab and all stored embryos were not affected.

Witnesses and federal responseNima Tabrizi, who was nearby at a cannabis dispensary, described the moment of the blast: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke. Crazy explosion. It felt like a bomb went off... We went up to the scene, and we saw human remains.”Images circulated on social media showed shattered glass and debris across the street. People from different parts of the city reported feeling the impact.The FBI has called the incident an act of domestic terrorism. “Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism,” a spokesperson said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has also joined the investigation.Officials have not yet formally confirmed Bartkus as the person killed in the explosion, but authorities believe he acted alone. The four injured individuals are currently recovering in a hospital.