Three days after an explosion believed to be intended for a fertility clinic rocked Palm Springs, California, the smell of smoke persisted in the air.
Portions of the blast zone surrounding the American Reproductive Centers are fenced off, but Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills allowed CBS News to inspect the damage.
Chief Mills, who was among the first to arrive at the scene on North Indian Canyon Drive that Saturday morning, said the suspected bomber backed his Ford Fusion into a parking spot, leaving a crater from the powerful explosion.
A portion of the vehicle’s engine remains in the middle of the lot on the east side of the IVF clinic, which houses its offices, and shrapnels are buried in the stucco walls of nearby buildings.
The suspect, Guy Bartkus, 25, was killed in the explosion, the FBI confirmed after DNA testing, and four others were injured. City officials believe none of the victims worked at the clinic.
According to investigators, the blast pattern indicates that the device was far more damaging than a low-grade explosive like fireworks. According to two sources familiar with the investigation, the bomb used was a large, “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device,” The FBI reported that the blast could be felt more than a mile away from the blast zone.
At the height of the investigation, more than 150 law enforcement officers were sifting for evidence due to the massive blast radius, according to Chief Mills. The FBI used drones, 3D scanners, and bomb-sniffing dogs to map out fragments and trace the chemicals that could have been used in the car bomb.
Authorities told CBS News that they are piecing together what happened between the suspect’s arrival in Palm Springs at 6 a.m. local time Saturday and the bomb’s detonation at 11 a.m. using public tips and surveillance videos.
According to the FBI, Bartkus lived in Twentynine Palms, which is about an hour away from Palm Springs and home to a large Marine Corps base. He stated in writings or recordings that he was opposed to bringing people into the world against their will, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
Detectives believe Bartkus acted alone at the scene, but they’re looking into his online chats to see if anyone helped him buy parts or refine the bomb design.
“I’m going to stand firm on … if you see it and you didn’t say something, then you’re as morally responsible for what took place as the person who pulled the trigger,” Mills told the crowd.
Authorities have stated that the IVF clinic remains too unstable for employees to enter. Once all of the evidence has been gathered, the building may need to be demolished.