Suspect in fertility clinic bombing dies while detained

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    A man from Washington state, who faced accusations related to a bombing at a Southern California fertility clinic, passed away while in federal custody, just weeks following his arrest. The individual, Daniel Park, 32, allegedly provided chemicals to Guy Edward Bartkus, the instigator of the explosion, who also died during the incident on May 17.

    Park, originating from a Seattle suburb, was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles and was declared dead at a hospital. The Bureau of Prisons has yet to give details on the cause of death. According to investigators, the two men bonded in niche online communities where they shared radical views opposing human procreation. The blast severely damaged the Palm Springs clinic, situated east of Los Angeles, and shattered windows of neighboring buildings. Authorities described the incident as an act of terrorism. Fortunately, the facility was empty at the time, and no embryos were destroyed.

    Investigation findings revealed that Park sent 180 pounds (approximately 82 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus in January. He also purchased and shipped an additional 90 pounds (around 41 kilograms) to Bartkus just before the explosion occurred. The purchasing trail, documented in a federal complaint, outlined multiple transactions by Park for ammonium nitrate from October 2022 to May 2023. Furthermore, Park reportedly traveled to Twentynine Palms, near Palm Springs, to conduct explosive experiments in Bartkus’ garage months in advance of the bombing.

    Prior to Park’s January visit, Bartkus reportedly engaged an AI chat application to query about explosive materials and mixtures, according to the complaint. Their exchanges allegedly focused on maximizing blast power. Park was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on June 3, after being extradited from Poland, where he had fled shortly after the attack. Charged with supplying and attempting to supply material support to terrorists, Park had been detained at the Los Angeles facility since June 13.

    Focus on the prosecution of the case remains with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, which attributed questions regarding Park’s demise to the Bureau of Prisons. Park and Bartkus were said to align in an ideology termed anti-natalism, which criticizes childbirth and proposes that procreation should cease. Bartkus reportedly targeted the American Reproductive Centers intentionally due to this belief, aiming to disrupt its fertility services.

    Park’s involvement with the anti-natalist ideology was evident from his longstanding activity in an online forum dedicated to the belief, court documents revealed. He had been posting since 2016, openly recruiting others and claiming the movement offered hope. He wrote candidly about death being an option when hope is lost. Relatives also noted that Park had held “pro-mortalist” opinions since high school, investigators noted.

    In a more recent instance, he attempted to gather like-minded individuals within Washington state for protests or meetings in March, though it garnered no responses, court records show. The Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, which also accommodates detainees for immigration matters, had been a hotspot for protests against immigration policies under President Donald Trump, with the National Guard on site for enhanced security.