FBI Says Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Blast An 'Act Of Terrorism'

An explosion has killed a person and heavily damaged a fertility clinic Saturday in the upscale California city of Palm Springs.

An explosion tore through a fertility clinic in the upscale California city of Palm Springs late Saturday morning, leaving one person believed to be the suspect dead in an attack the FBI characterized as terrorism.

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 Associated Press its staffers were safe.

“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. He declined to say how authorities reached that conclusion.

A law enforcement official said investigators recovered an AK-47-style rifle from the scene. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Authorities were still working to confirm the identity of the person killed, Davis said. Four people were hurt, but authorities provided no details on the severity of those injuries, how they occurred or where. Davis said law enforcement was also looking into the possibility that the explosion was livestreamed.