Guy Edward Bartkus had ‘nihilistic ideations’, what does it mean?

Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, has been identified by the FBI as the suspect in the Palm Springs IVF clinic bombing.

FBI on Sunday stated that investigators feel they have identified Guy Edward Bartkus as the culprit in the bombing outside a reproductive clinic in Palm Springs, California, stressing that the 25-year-old man had "nihilistic ideations."

Guy Edward Bartkus (FBI)

During a press conference, FBI Los Angeles field office assistant director Akil Davis told reporters, “We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary suspect.”

“The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake. We are treating this... as an intentional act of terrorism.”

On Saturday, a bomb exploded in or close to a car parked outside the American Reproductive Center clinic just before 11 a.m. local time.

The explosion claimed one life and injured at least four. Authorities reported on Sunday that the explosion did not damage any embryos kept within the clinic.

According to Davis, Bartkus was attempting to live-stream the incident and the FBI believes he was killed in the explosion.

What is nihilistic ideation?

Nihilism as a philosophy disavows the significance and worth that society accords to individuals, things, and existence. Although the term's original origin is unknown, researchers have been able to date it to the 18th century.

German philosopher Jacobi Friedrich coined the term after the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that prioritized reason, and skepticism.

Palm Springs buildings suffered major damage after explosion

Andy Mills, the chief of police in Palm Springs, acknowledged that other nearby buildings suffered major damage, with some of them being seriously jeopardized.

One of the first people on the scene was Rhino Williams, who owned a restaurant in the area. “I initially believed a plane had crashed,” he remarked. When he arrived on the scene, he discovered the building's walls blown out and a portion of an automobile burning in the parking lot. Additionally, he saw an iPhone on a tripod close by, which may indicate that the explosion was captured on camera, ARISE NEWS reported.