Investigation into Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing continues

Fire trucks at the scene of the Palm Springs explosion with debris lining the street around them Photo courtesy of OnScene TV The examination is continuing Sunday to identify the deadly bomber and a practicable motive for what law enforcement executives described as an intentional act of terrorism at a Palm Springs fertility clinic CNN citing a law enforcement source explained the bomber had preliminarily been identified as a -year-old man from the nearby city of Twentynine Palms who acted alone Due to the condition of the deceased individual s remains after the explosion forensic testing will be conducted to help fully identify the suspect CNN revealed Agents are also aware of a rambling audio recording posted online in which a man describes his intention to attack an in vitro fertilization clinic and they are working to determine whether it is associated with the circumstance the architecture released again citing its law enforcement source In the oftentimes incoherent audio message the speaker discusses various grievances about his life but the specific connection to IVF is unclear according to CNN Other media reports mentioned the speaker on the recording described himself as anti-life and opposed to in vitro fertilization Palm Springs police Chief Andy Mills verified that one person died in the a m Saturday blast in the block of North Indian Canyon Dr near the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic which was closed at the time of the episode North Indian Canyon Drive The victim s identity has not been circulated Make no mistake This is an intentional act of terrorism disclosed Akil Davis assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles This is one of the largest bombing investigations we ve had in Southern California Reporters sought whether the victim was also the bomber We have a person of interest in this review Davis disclosed We are not actively searching for a suspect He mentioned the identity of the deceased and the person s relationship to the bombing would eventually be made citizens but only after its release would not compromise the research This is an isolated occurrence noted Mills The group is not at danger any longer Los Angeles TV station ABC citing an unnamed law enforcement source released that four people were injured in the explosion and that the person who died was a suspect A host of federal executives descended on the scene as crews worked to collect evidence in the sizeable blast area Mills described the crime scene as several blocks in all directions and sought anyone who finds anything that could be evidence to call police Shortly after the explosion the FBI posted that it was responding with police and fire partners to the scene of an explosion on N Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs FBI assets being deployed include investigators bomb technicians and an evidence response unit Please contact local personnel for safety precautions in the area Nicole Lozano spokeswoman for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives in Los Angeles mentioned ATF personnel were also on the scene of the explosion saying The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles Field Division personnel are assisting our state local and federal counterparts with the progressing analysis by providing our unique capabilities and technical expertise An image posted online by a witness manifested what appeared to be at least part of a body near the blast scene which was later covered with a white blanket Other images manifested the remains of a truck in the parking lot behind the clinic and the clinic s front facade in the street Witness video indicated scattered debris in the street in front of the clinic and windows shattered at multiple businesses in the area including a nearby liquor store Residents released feeling the shaking from the blast throughout the city The clinic is located near Desert Regional Medicinal Center which did not sustain any serious damage According to the American Reproductive Centers website the clinic opened in and is the Coachella Valley s first and only full-service fertility center and IVF in vitro fertilization lab Its services also include LGBTQ family building egg donation and freezing fertility evaluations and embryo transfer Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto reported it was key that the largest part heavily damaged building was a fertility clinic a place of hope She added This meaningful work must continue Dr Maher Abdallah who runs the clinic posted a message on social media saying the facility s office space was damaged but the lab was untouched He authenticated that no employees of the clinic were injured We are immensely grateful to share that no members of the ARC association were harmed and our lab including all eggs embryos and reproductive materials remains fully secure and undamaged Abdallah reported We are heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and have established that our operations and sensitive healthcare areas were not impacted by the blast Our mission has unfailingly been to help build families and in times like these we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is In the face of this tragedy we remain committed to creating hope because we believe that healing begins with locality compassion and care Out of every tragedy there is an opportunity to come together with deeper purpose While in contemporary times s events have shaken us all they also shine a light on the strength of our region the bravery of our first responders and the resilience of the families we serve Abdallah mentioned He added that the clinic would be open for business on Monday despite the extensive damage Desert Regional Healthcare Center issued a message saying Hospital staff is cooperating with police as they investigate the cause Our crisis department remains open and our hospital is fully operational We are temporarily asking visitors to refrain from coming to the hospital as police have limited access to the road in front of our campus Various windows were broken in a curative office building directly facing the explosion Hospital operations have not been affected Gov Gavin Newsom s office issued a report saying the governor has been briefed on the explosion The state through the Office of Exigency Services is coordinating with local and federal agents to sponsorship the response according to Newsom s office Palm Springs Mayor Ron DeHarte stated he had been in touch with Newsom s office and other elected executives including Sen Alex Padilla My heart is heavy as we grapple with the horrific explosion that occurred outside the American Reproductive Centers DeHarte stated in a report late Saturday This act of violence is unforgivable and I want to be clear it has no place in our district The safety and well-being of our residents is our absolute priority We are a strong and resilient group and we will stand together in the face of this tragedy We will not let fear define us DeHarte urged people who find likely evidence to not touch it and instead call the police department at -