A bomb exploded outside a California fertility clinic, killing one and injuring several others, according to the mayor of Palm Springs. It is currently being investigated as a terrorist act.
At a press conference on Saturday evening, Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told reporters: “Make no mistake: this is an intentional act of terrorism. The FBI is looking into it as such. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is here, collaborating with the Palm Springs Police Department, the ATF, and a variety of other agencies.”
When asked whether it could be domestic or international terrorism, Davis said, “As our investigation progresses, we will determine whether it is international or domestic terrorism.” No matter which, the Joint Terrorism Task Force is in charge of this, and we will find out.”
Davis described the explosion as “significant,” noting that it impacted several blocks in all directions from the blast site, resulting in a debris field of more than 250 yards.
The FBI’s Evidence Response Team is processing evidence and will remain on site for an extended period of time, with bomb technicians also working on the post-blast scene to determine the cause of the blast.
“We are working to confirm the identity of the deceased, and we will provide that to you as soon as we can, but we are keeping that close hold in order to protect the integrity of the investigation,” Davis told reporters.
According to ABC News, law enforcement sources believe the deceased person is a suspect.When asked at the press conference about reports that a witness discovered a tripod and camera as if a livestream was planned, officials confirmed they had heard the report and would look into it.
Firefighters in the city responded to the explosion at the American Reproductive Center shortly before 11 a.m. local time.In a text message to The Los Angeles Times, Mayor Ron DeHarte confirmed that a bomb was in or near a vehicle parked at the building. “There is one deceased.”
Later, he told CNN that there was no indication of the bomber’s identity or motive: “We don’t know why or who yet, and that’s all to come. Certainly, our teams are on top of this. “Time will provide us with those details.”
However, he stated that authorities do not believe there is any further threat to the community.
DeHarte described the explosion’s location to the network as “in the Uptown Design District of Palm Springs.” The clinic is directly across the street from Desert Regional Medical Center. It’s not on the Medical Center campus, but it’s on Indian Canyon, just one block east of Palm Canyon Drive, which everyone recognizes when visiting Palm Springs.”
Lt. William Hutchinson of the Palm Springs Police Department confirmed to the Palm Springs Post that the explosion was caused by a car. The department also stated that one person was killed.
A witness reported seeing human remains in the street.
“In front of the building [the car] was blown clear across four lanes into the parking lot of [Desert Regional Medical Center],” a witness described. “I saw the back of the car still on fire, as well as the rims. That was the only thing that made it recognizable as a car.”
American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic and IVF laboratory, is located at 1199 N Indian Canyon Drive, across from Desert Regional Medical Center. A hospital spokesperson confirmed that the explosion did not occur within the medical center.
This is the only clinic of its kind in the Coachella Valley. Authorities have advised the public to avoid the area.
Tamara Cash, a Palm Springs resident, reported to The Desert Sun that the explosion was “so loud it shook me.” “All I could hear were alarms going off in various buildings.”
Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic where the explosion occurred, told The Associated Press by phone that all of his employees were safe and accounted for.
The explosion damaged the practice’s office space, where patients are seen, but it did not harm the IVF lab or the embryos that were stored there.
“I really have no clue what happened,” Abdallah said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
Nima Tabrizi, 37, of Santa Monica reported feeling a massive explosion while inside a nearby cannabis dispensary.
“The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke,” Tabrizi recalled. “That was a crazy explosion. It felt as if a bomb had gone off… We went up to the scene and discovered human remains.
Pam Bondi, the United States Attorney General, tweeted: “I have been briefed on the explosion at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, which occurred today.” Federal agents are currently responding alongside local law enforcement.
“We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration recognizes that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America. Violence against a fertility clinic is unacceptable.”
While abortion clinics and their employees have long been targeted, attacks on fertility clinics, such as the one in Palm Springs, have been less common.
Palm Springs, a city of about 45,000 people located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, has long been a popular vacation destination for the wealthy and famous. The resort city is located in the Coachella Valley of the Colorado desert.
The city’s population triples between November and March, as it has become a popular retirement and snowbird destination. While most snowbirds are Canadians, some have begun to boycott the city due to President Donald Trump’s harsh policies and aggressive rhetoric towards Canada.
