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Fatal bomb at Palm Springs reproductive clinic ‘act of terrorism’ – FBI
Fatal bomb at Palm Springs reproductive clinic ‘act of terrorism’ – FBI
According to FBI officials, the bombing outside a fertility clinic in California was a “intentional act of terrorism” that left one person dead and four others injured.
The explosion occurred less than a mile from downtown Palm Springs, close to a number of establishments, notably the American Reproductive Centers (ARC), soon before 11:00 local time (19:00 BST). According to the clinic, nobody from the establishment was hurt.
Although officers were “not actively searching” for the culprit, the FBI later stated that it had “a person of interest” in their investigation.
Witness Michael Beaumier reported that the blast threw him off his bike. “It was that big of an explosion and I could hear windows shattering all around me,” stated the man.
At first, Rhino Williams, who was at his adjacent restaurant, told the BBC, he believed the explosion was the result of a plane or helicopter falling.
He claimed that when he rushed to the scene to offer assistance, he discovered a severely damaged structure with walls blown out and a burning car’s front axle in the parking lot.
Mr. Williams stated, “That’s all that was left of it,” In the parking lot, he also noticed a tripod-mounted iPhone that appeared to be ready to record or broadcast the explosion.
Mr. Williams claimed that after frantically searching the building for any injured individuals, he was unable to locate any. First responders showed up a few minutes later.
The front of the clinic was “completely blown out,” according to witness Nima Tabrizi, who also reported hearing a “big boom” and a thick cloud of smoke.
In a briefing on Saturday, the FBI claimed that the strike was intentional.
“This was a deliberate terrorist act. We will ascertain if it is domestic or international terrorism as our investigation progresses,” stated Akil Davis, the director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
According to Palm Springs police chief Andy Mills, the explosion caused significant damage to a number of properties.
He went on to say that no one knew who had been murdered.
According to the Palm Springs ARC, the explosion happened in the parking lot close to their office.
Mayor Ron De Harte of Palm Springs stated that the explosion “was in or near the vehicle” to CBS News, a partner of the BBC in the US.
According to the reproductive clinic, their lab was “fully secure and undamaged” and all of the eggs and embryos were protected.
“We are heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and have confirmed that our operations and sensitive medical areas were not impacted by the blast,” the hospital stated in a statement.
However, the clinic’s director, Dr. Maher Abdallah, informed the Associated Press that the office was destroyed.
“I really have no clue what happened,” he stated. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
The ARC clinic is the Coachella Valley’s first full-service reproductive center and in vitro fertilization facility (IVF), according to its website.
It provides services like IVF, egg freezing and donation, surrogacy, reproductive support for same-sex couples, and fertility exams.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had been briefed on the event, while California Governor Gavin Newsom stated the state was coordinating with federal and local authorities.