In what the FBI is calling an “intentional act of terrorism,” an explosive device inside a car was detonated on Saturday outside the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California. The explosion, felt more than a mile away from the blast site, killed one person and injured four others, and is being referred to as the “largest bombing ever investigated in Southern California.”
Los Angeles FBI field office assistant director Akil Davis said at a news conference on Sunday that the suspect is believed to be 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, whom law enforcement said had “stated in writings or recordings that he was against bringing people into the world against their will,” according to CBS News. “The subject had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack,” Davis said. “We believe he was attempting to livestream it and yes, that is also part of our investigation.”
Bartkus described himself as a “promortalist” and “anti-natalist,” and allegedly wrote a manifesto that includes an explanation for the attack, which states in part, “I think we need a war against pro-lifers. It is clear at this point that these people aren’t only stupid, they simply do not care about the harm they are perpetuating by being willing agents for a DNA molecule.”
Guy Edward Bartkus (@FBILosAngeles/X)
The explosion, which took place around 11 a.m. on Saturday, failed to kill any of the human embryos stored inside.
Who was Guy Edward Bartkus, man being linked to Palm Springs fertility clinic explosion?
Source: Reuters | #California #PalmSprings #Dead #BombExplosion pic.twitter.com/1PjOZjB470
— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 18, 2025
Bartkus also left a 30-minute audio recording that allegedly explains why he carried out the attack.
“I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I’ve decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic,” he said. “Basically, it just comes down to I’m angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here.” He added, “I’m very against [IVF], it’s 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?”
Palm Springs Explosion Update:
We can now confirm the identity of the suspect is Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of 29 Palms.
Bartkus is believed to be the individual who is deceased at the scene. Investigators are working to positively identify the remains.
An anti pro-life…
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) May 18, 2025
Pro-mortalism is a support for death, and anti-natalism is a belief against birth. This philosophy is growing in popularity, reported Not the Bee. Earlier this month, The New Yorker highlighted anti-natalist philosopher David Benatar, who argues that it would be better if no more children were ever born.
“While good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) guaranteed way to prevent all the suffering of their children is not to bring those children into existence in the first place,” he wrote in his book, “Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence.”
In complete opposition to this nihilistic perspective, pro-lifers believe that every human being, regardless of their manner of conception, has intrinsic value and deserves the right to life.
