FBI calls explosion near California fertility clinic an ‘act of terrorism’
Palm Springs police chief Andy Mills says the blast ‘appears to be an intentional act of violence’.
An explosion near a reproductive health facility in the US state of California, which resulted in the death of one person, has been dubbed an “act of terrorism” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told reporters on Sunday that the explosion in Palm Springs was “an intentional act of terrorism” but did not provide further information.
The Associated Press news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying the suspect died in the explosion while attempting to record video or stream the attack. Writings left behind by the suspect reportedly communicated a belief that the world should not be populated. However, official details regarding the identity of the deceased are still awaited.
Palm Springs police chief Andy Mills said the blast “appears to be an intentional act of violence” and that several buildings were damaged, some severely.
“There has been one fatality, the person’s identity is not known,” he said.
The Reuters news agency reported, quoting the city’s mayor, Ron deHarte, that a bomb was either in or near a car parked outside the clinic when it exploded. The remains of the vehicle could be seen behind the clinic in footage of the scene.
Palm Springs fire chief Paul Alvarado said no suspect had been identified.
Authorities said the blast took place around 11am (18:00 GMT) on Saturday near North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive. Police urged residents to avoid the area as fire crews and investigators secured the scene.
Along with FBI agents, officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were dispatched to support the local investigation.
The blast damaged the American Reproductive Centers facility, a fertility clinic run by Dr Maher Abdallah. He told the AP that while his office space suffered damage, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) laboratory and its stored embryos were untouched.
“I really have no clue what happened,” Abdallah said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
He added that all his staff were safe and accounted for.
A resident of the area, Nima Tabrizi, 37, from Santa Monica, said he was inside a cannabis dispensary when he felt the building shake.
“The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s a massive cloud smoke,” Tabrizi said. “Crazy explosion. It felt like a bomb went off … We went up to the scene, and we saw human remains.”
Palm Springs, a wealthy desert city known for its luxury resorts and celebrity history, is located about 100 miles (161km) east of Los Angeles.