Palm Springs Man Discovers Potential Bomb Component Near Blast Site

As the investigation into Saturday’s devastating explosion in Palm Springs continues, it may now be focusing on a critical piece of evidence discovered by a local resident—and uncovered exclusively by NBC Palm Springs.

Palm Springs man Dwayne Wall was waiting at a red light at Tachevah and Palm Canyon Drive when the blast ripped through the downtown area. The explosion was so powerful, it blew his car backward. “I didn’t know what it was. It was just white smoke and debris going everywhere,” Wall recalled.

With no first responders yet on scene, Wall jumped into action, searching the area for anyone he could help. “Me and another guy quickly realized it was body parts—arms, things like that,” he said. Though he found no survivors, he did find himself in the middle of a massive debris field.

Among the shattered glass and twisted metal, Wall picked up what could be a major clue in the case: a charred device that NBC Palm Springs has identified as a Burnzomatic T58000 torch. These types of torches are typically used in construction and culinary settings. However, NBC Palm Springs also uncovered serious online warnings about the “potential misuse” of the Burnzomatic T58000 in constructing explosive devices.

“I didn’t want to touch it too much,” Wall said. “I figured it could have TNT residue on it or something.” He has since turned the device over to authorities, who confirmed it could indeed be evidence in the bombing case.

Law enforcement has not publicly confirmed whether the device is officially part of the bomb, but acknowledged the importance of all debris found near the blast zone.

Meanwhile, survivors are still grappling with what they experienced. The Abraham family, visiting from Moreno Valley, was eating at Denny’s near the explosion when glass shattered around them. “It was super loud—everything just blew up,” they said. Some nearby diners were injured by flying glass, but the Abrahams escaped unharmed.

As investigators continue to sift through physical evidence and digital leads—including a manifesto and possible online posts from suspect Guy Edward Bartkus—the community is left with the same haunting question: why?

“You’re not helping anybody,” one survivor said. “You’re killing innocent people. This kind of thing shouldn’t be happening.”

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