Palm Springs IVF clinic attack: No clear abortion link in car bombing, police provide key update

A car bomb explosion near the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs killed one person, police noted. ABC News cited law enforcement sources to add that at least five people were injured. One official said that they are not ruling out the explosion as an ‘act of terrorism’. 

Debris covers the ground near the site of an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif. (AP)

Soon after police statements were out, several social media users claimed that the explosion was linked to abortion. However, we found that the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic does not provide abortions. 

Read More: Palm Springs explosion: Graphic photo showing human carcass surfaces, building windows shattered

“The fertility clinic bombing in Palm Springs (serving the Coachella Valley area) is eerily reminiscent of the abortion clinic bombings carried out by one Eric Rudolph,” one person noted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. 

“Did anti-abortion activists just blow up a car bomb in Palm Springs?” another one noted. 

The American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, does not provide abortions. According to its official website and statements reported in recent coverage following the car bomb attack, the clinic specializes in fertility treatments, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, and services supporting LGBTQ+ family-building.

A clinic doctor, quoted by NPR, confirmed that the facility focuses exclusively on fertility care and does not offer abortion services. 

FBI’s Los Angeles field office said in a social media post on X that “assets being deployed include investigators, bomb technicians & an evidence response team.” Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also assisting.

The city of Palm Springs said Saturday that the explosion happened at 11 a.m. local time and that residents were being asked to avoid the area around North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive.

Meanwhile, in a message on Instagram, the clinic wrote: “We are heartbroken to learn that this event claimed a life and caused injuries, and our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”