The ARC was targeted by an explosion that has been described by authorities as an “act of terrorism” Photo: ARCF/Facebook
The FBI is investigating an “act of terrorism” outside a California fertility clinic that on Saturday left one person killed and four others injured.
The incident, less than a mile from downtown Palm Springs, near several businesses, including the American Reproductive Centres, involves an explosion that was felt several blocks away and severely damaged some nearby buildings, police reported in a statement on Facebook.
“The Palm Springs Police Department is working in unified command for a vehicle explosion,” the statement reads. “The blast appears to be an international act of violence, and the blast extends for blocks with several buildings damaged, some severely.”
Authorities evacuated dozens of people from the Twentynine Palms homes, an area they called the “blast zone”, about an hour away from the explosion. However, they have not clarified whether this was related or an entirely different incident.
One person of interest
The FBI said they had identified a person of interest in the Palm Springs incident, but do not believe there is any outstanding threat to the public.
In a televised press conference, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills disclosed that one person was killed in a vehicle explosion that appeared to be “an intentional act of violence.”
“Terrorism came knocking on the door of Palm Springs,” Mills said. “We survived. And I can tell you that this city will rise more effectively as a beacon of hope than before.”
According to Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado, firefighters arrived at the scene within a minute. He said that they could extinguish most of the fire before backing out of the building due to the partially collapsed roof.
In separate emails sent to CBS News, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said they are sending agents to help with the investigation.
An ‘act of terrorism’
“Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI division.
‘one of the largest bombing’ probes
Davis said that the incident is “probably one of the largest bombing investigations we’ve had in Southern California.”
On its Facebook page, American Reproductive Centres (ARC) wrote that “This morning, an unexpected and tragic incident occurred outside our Palm Springs facility when a vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building.”
The statement signed by Dr. Maher Abdallah adds, “We are immensely grateful to share that no members of the ARC team were harmed, and our lab—including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials—remains fully secure and undamaged.”
The doctor said the ARC was “heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and has confirmed that the blast did not impact our operations and sensitive medical areas.” He also assured the ARC would be full operation on Monday.
