Daniel Park, a 32-year-old man, was arrested Tuesday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The man is allegedly tied to the bombing at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, last month. Park, according to authorities, traveled to Poland four days after the bombing and was deported back to the United States, upon which Park was seized and taken into custody at the airport.
Authorities say that Park allegedly collaborated with the bomber, Edward Bartkus, who died in the blast. Park had shipped 270 pounds of an explosive chemical compound and had participated in experimentation with bomb-making in Bartkus’ home before the day of the attack. Authorities have yet to disclose how Park may have gained access to the materials used in the explosion. According to the FBI’s assistant director in charge, Akil Davis, authorities had searched Park’s home and found “an explosive recipe that was similar to the Oklahoma City bombing.”
Park and Bartkus were allegedly antinatalist and had met each other on online forums in 2016. The antinatalist movement is based on the core idea that procreation and childbirth are unethical and that humanity should cease to exist. The FBI believes Park and Bartkus likely targeted the fertility clinic under this base idea as an act of terrorism. Park’s social media showed attempts to convince others who may be like-minded in their beliefs.
Park is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn, New York, and will likely be prosecuted in California later on. More details on the case are likely to be revealed soon.
