Officials just finished a press conference Saturday afternoon after a massive explosion rocked the city of Palm Springs, California earlier in the day and destroyed a fertility center. Authorities confirmed that there is one deceased person who was found near a blown-out vehicle and four other injuries.
And they have now come to one important conclusion: “Make no mistake: this was an intentional act of terrorism”— FBI Assistant Director Los Angeles Akil Davis.
The FBI is investigating it as such, our joint terrorism task force is here working in lockstep with the Palm Springs Police Department, the ATF, and a whole host of agencies that I’ve already mentioned.
He encouraged anyone with any tips or information—or with debris from the explosion on their lawn—to immediately get in touch with the FBI.
The agency immediately responded with six agents, Davis said. He continued:
This explosion was significant, covering several blocks... roads are closed as there are wide debris fields over 250 yards. The FBI’s evidence response team is on scene right now processing evidence. And we'll be here for a significant amount of time.
Our bomb technicians are working... to determine the origin of the blast.
We are working to confirm the identity of the deceased, and we will provide that to you as soon as we can, but we are keeping that close hold to protect the integrity of the investigation.
"Make no mistake. This is an intentional act of terrorism."
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 18, 2025
Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, provided an update during a press conference on the ongoing investigation into the Palm Springs car explosion that left one person dead and five… pic.twitter.com/vv3euhwho5
Davis also noted that they do have a "person of interest" in mind:
Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, confirmed that there is "a person of interest" in the ongoing investigation into the Palm Springs car explosion. However, officials are "not actively out searching for a suspect" at this time. This is… pic.twitter.com/k8UGjgq4I1
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 18, 2025
Next up was Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills:
I am really saddened by today’s attack on our city. But I’m also hopeful, because this city will rise. And this city is resilient and will be strong as a result of this.
We have a rapidly evolving investigation with a massive crime scene. Our first priority was to ensure the safety of the community and we were very concerned about secondary devices. And so we spent a lot of time and effort working with the Bureau as well as the Sheriff’s office, clearing the entire neighborhood, making sure there was nothing that could harm our citizens any further.
This is going to take us a great deal of time to process this scene.
He explained that they consider it an isolated incident, and he was confident the community was not at risk. "Finally, for me, terrorism came knocking on the door of Palm Springs… we survived," he concluded. "And I can tell you that this city will rise."
RedState will keep you updated on this developing situation. One thing is clearer after the conference, though: this was terrorism. Now we need to know the who and the why.
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