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A 25-year-old man named Guy Edward Bartkus died after detonating a bomb outside American Fertility Centers in Palm Springs, California. The explosion injured four people who were later released from the hospital, and caused significant damage to the front of the clinic, though the IVF lab remained intact with all embryos safe.
FBI investigators discovered that Bartkus was motivated by antinatalism, a fringe philosophy asserting that human reproduction is morally wrong because no one consents to being born. Bartkus left behind a manifesto and a 30-minute audio recording explaining his actions, in which he stated: “I’m angry that I exist. Nobody got my consent to bring me here.”
Rather than identifying as an antinatalist, Bartkus described himself as a “promortalist” and referenced “efilism” (life spelled backward), which are considered more radical offshoots of antinatalist thinking. His website, promortalism.com, used the tagline “F—- you pro-lifers!” However, investigators noted that he wasn’t targeting anti-abortion activists but rather those who facilitate bringing new life into the world.
Bartkus claimed he was “put over the edge” by his friend Sophie’s recent suicide, with whom he had made a pact that “if one of us died, the other would probably soon follow.”
Psychotherapist Daren Banarse explained that antinatalism assigns a negative moral value to birth itself, arguing that existence inevitably leads to suffering. However, he emphasized that “philosophy alone rarely drives such violence,” suggesting that Bartkus’s actions likely resulted from a combination of isolation, psychological distress, and online radicalization.
The article noted connections between antinatalism and another notorious violent incident, mentioning that Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza had left behind audio recordings about antinatalism, which Bartkus referenced in his manifesto.
The bombing represents a different kind of attack than the nearly 100 incidents targeting pro-life pregnancy centers since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins condemned the bombing as an example of the “anti-baby mindset,” arguing that political leaders have wrongly portrayed children as “an enemy to our planet, to our careers, and to our culture.”
Read more: Palm Springs bombing suspect believed to be driven by anti-birth ideology
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The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
