PALM SPRINGS, CA — A man accused of aiding the bomber who targeted a Southern California fertility clinic in May has died in federal custody, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said on June 24.
Daniel Park, 32, of Washington state, was found unresponsive at 7:30 a.m. local time at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement. Facility employees “initiated life-saving measures” on Park who was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the agency.
The Bureau of Prisons did not share Park’s cause of death but said the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service were notified. The agency noted in its statement that no other inmates or employees were injured in the incident and there was never a danger to the public.
Park arrived at the facility on June 13 under pretrial status, according to the Bureau of Prisons. He was arrested in Poland and taken into custody by the FBI at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City earlier this month, authorities said.
Authorities accused Park of collaborating with Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, who died in a powerful explosion on May 17 after driving a car containing an explosive device to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs.
The FBI and federal prosecutors alleged that Park had supplied about 270 pounds of ammonium nitrate, an explosive precursor that can be used to make homemade bombs, to Bartkus. Park was indicted on June 17 on charges of providing material support to a terrorist and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
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Who was Daniel Park?
Park, a U.S. citizen, resided in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, according to a federal complaint, obtained by the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network.
U.S. Marshals arrested Park on June 3 after he returned to the United States from Poland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Authorities said Park had traveled to Europe four days after the suicide bombing and was detained in Poland on May 30.
The FBI alleged Park shipped packages of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus before the bombing and visited him earlier this year.
According to the complaint, Park made six separate purchases of ammonium nitrate between October 2022 and May 2025. He allegedly shipped about 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate in January and then paid for an additional 90 pounds that were sent to Bartkus in May, the complaint states.
The two met at Bartkus’ residence in Twentynine Palms in late January and early February for about two weeks to conduct experiments on explosives, an FBI investigation found. The FBI believes the two visited each other more often in 2023 and 2024 and that Park sent Bartkus money through PayPal.
The investigation also revealed that both Bartkus and Park were motivated by “pro-mortalism” and “anti-natalism” ideologies. Park had posted online about his anti-natalist beliefs as far back as 2016, according to the complaint.
Anti-natalism is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as a philosophical view deeming procreation to be “unethical or unjustifiable.” Believers of pro-mortalism argue that life should be ended as soon as possible because it only results in suffering and death.
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What happened in the Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing?
On May 17, an explosion occurred in a Palm Springs parking lot near the American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic that provides in vitro fertilization treatment. Bartkus died in the explosion, which was heard and felt as far as 2 miles from the scene.
The blast left four others injured and caused the partial collapse of the fertility clinic. Other buildings within several blocks were also severely damaged. Following the incident, the fertility clinic said all its staff were safe, and no eggs or embryos were harmed.
Akil Davis, assistant director of the Los Angeles FBI field office, previously called the incident “one of the largest bombing investigations we’ve had in Southern California.” The city estimated that the blast caused between $6 million and $12 million in damage.
Palm Springs is a tony resort city located in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. The city is more than 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; The Desert Sun; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man linked to Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing dies in custody
