Fatal Palm Springs, CA explosion investigated by FBI
Share this @internewscast.com

One person has died, and at least four others were injured on Saturday following a car explosion, which has led to “one of the largest bombing investigations we’ve had in southern California.”

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — According to a law enforcement official, the individual suspected of targeting a Southern California fertility clinic on Saturday left behind incoherent online writings prior to an explosion. This incident, which prompted a terrorism investigation, shook the wealthy city of Palm Springs.

The suspect lost their life in the explosion that devastated the clinic. This individual also made attempts to capture video or stream the attack, as revealed by the official, who talked to The Associated Press under the agreement of anonymity, as they were not authorized to comment publicly on the attack’s specifics.

“Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,” Akil Davis, the head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told an evening news conference.

Authorities were still working to piece together a motive and build a chronology of events leading up to the attack. Though the FBI did not say how it had determined the explosion was terrorism, the writings left behind, in which the suspect communicated a belief that the world should not be populated, appear to shed light on the person’s state of mind and help explain investigators’ thesis that the attack was targeted and intentional.

Authorities have not released the identity of the person thought to be responsible but believe the individual died in a car explosion. Davis said investigators weren’t looking for anyone else.

Four others were injured but details of the severity of their injuries weren’t shared.

A burned-out vehicle was seen in the parking lot behind the clinic after the blast, which caved in the building’s roof, sprayed debris across a five-lane road and shattered windows in businesses blocks away. The clinic was closed for the weekend, and the doctor who leads it told the AP its staffers were safe.

The blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, housed in a single-story building along a five-lane street lined with palm trees.

Dr. Maher Abdallah, who leads the clinic, told the AP in a phone interview that the explosion damaged the practice’s office space, where it conducts consultations with patients. The clinic’s IVF lab and stored embryos are offsite and were not damaged.

“Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” Abdallah said.

Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto called the clinic “a place of hope.”

“This is a building that people go to to start or expand their families,” she said. “We acknowledge their pain and concern across the community for the patients and staff.”

Rhino Williams, 47, said he was chatting with customers at a hotel restaurant he helps manage just over a block away when he heard a huge boom. Everything rattled, Williams said, and he sprinted to the scene to see if anyone needed help.

Williams covered his nose with his shirt as he smelled burning plastic and rubber. He said he saw a building had “blown out” into the street, with bricks and debris scattered everywhere, and he spotted a car’s front axle on fire in the parking lot.

It was the only car in the lot, said Williams, who ran into the building, calling out and peering behind the counter to see if anyone was inside. He did not hear a response and did not see anyone behind the counter.

Williams then ran around checking on other buildings. Multiple windows of the neighboring liquor store also were blown out. Once he saw authorities arrive, Williams headed back to the hotel, he said.

Steven Michael Chacon was in his car preparing to turn into a hospital across the street from the clinic when felt and heard a massive boom as the building was torn apart, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the air. Not knowing what happened, he exited his car to flee the scene. Glass was all over the ground, and he saw what appeared to be a body part.

“I got out of my car and then people started screaming, there were people bloody, there was glass everywhere,” he said.

Palm Springs, about a two-hour drive east of Los Angeles, is known for upscale resorts, golf courses and a history of celebrity residents.

The Trump administration condemned the attack.

“The Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.”

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Chicago Little Village activity today: 1 arrested for battery of police officer near 26th, Whipple amid clash with feds

Tensions Rise in Chicago’s Little Village: Arrest Made for Assaulting Officer During Federal Standoff

In the heart of Little Village, a neighborhood in Chicago, tensions flared…
42-year-old cold case closed after detectives crack into discovered confession

Detectives Solve 42-Year-Old Cold Case with Newly Uncovered Confession

A chilling chapter from 1983 has finally reached its conclusion in Nassau…
California police officer struck and killed by car while stopping to help driver

Tragic Loss: California Officer Fatally Struck While Heroically Assisting Stranded Driver

The La Mesa Police Department is grieving the loss of one of…
4 family members of Illinois governor candidate killed in Montana helicopter crash, campaign says

Tragedy Strikes: Four Relatives of Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Perish in Montana Helicopter Crash, Campaign Reports

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A tragic helicopter crash in Montana has claimed…
Trucking company owned by illegal immigrant raked in money from taxpayers before fatal crash: records

Records Reveal Taxpayer-Funded Earnings of Immigrant-Owned Trucking Firm Prior to Fatal Accident

EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: Records reveal that an undocumented immigrant in Indiana, recently…
NFL's Roger Goodell's Weakness on Full Display With Response About Choosing Bad Bunny for Super Bowl

Roger Goodell Faces Criticism Over Bad Bunny Super Bowl Choice

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s tenure appears overdue for an end, especially after…
California police officer killed in crash on Interstate 8

Tragic Interstate 8 Collision Claims Life of California Police Officer

The La Mesa community is grappling with the tragic loss of Officer…
Wyoming Capitol bomb investigators focus on men seen in security video

Investigators Zero In on Individuals Captured in Security Footage in Wyoming Capitol Bomb Probe

Investigators in Wyoming are on the hunt for two individuals suspected of…
Texas mounted patrol caught on camera capturing illegal immigrant hiding in ranch brush near southern border

Texas Mounted Patrol Captures Undocumented Immigrant Concealed in Ranch Brush Near Southern Border, Caught on Camera

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released video footage showcasing…
FBI releases new surveillance video of suspect who placed pipe bombs near DNC, RNC offices in DC

FBI Unveils New Footage of Suspect Linked to Pipe Bombs Near DNC and RNC Offices

In a renewed effort to solve one of the lingering mysteries from…
Illegal immigrant trucker accused in fatal California crash released by Biden admin after 2022 border crossing

Immigrant Trucker Involved in Fatal California Accident Released by Biden Administration Following 2022 Border Entry

A 21-year-old man from India, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022…
A Trump supporter wearing an inflatable costume is attacked in moving gif

Shocking Video: Man in Inflatable Trump Costume Assaulted at ‘No Kings’ Protest in Blue State

A man from Massachusetts has been officially charged after reportedly attacking a…