Palm Springs Artist Speaks Out on Trauma After Witnessing Bombing Aftermath

While cleanup crews continue to remove debris from the streets of Palm Springs, a deeper and more personal kind of fallout is just beginning. Mental health professionals say many residents are now beginning to process the emotional trauma of Saturday’s terrorist attack—and are bracing for a wave of those seeking help.

Among them is Art Lewis, a longtime Palm Springs resident and artist known for his unique fiber optic clothing designs. For Lewis, the blast shattered what began as a quiet, routine Saturday morning.

“It was just my regular morning routine,” Lewis told NBC Palm Springs Special Correspondent Dan Adams. “Until it wasn’t.”

Lewis lives less than a block from the fertility clinic where the car bomb exploded. He rushed from his apartment to the scene—arriving even before emergency responders.

“To see a horrific sight like that... before the bodies were covered... we knew something horrible happened,” he recalled.

A five-time cancer survivor, Lewis says he’s faced challenges before—but nothing like this. What he witnessed that morning, he says, will haunt him for the rest of his life.

“It’s going to take me some time before I can walk down the street again,” he admitted, referring to Indian Canyon Drive, where his apartment faces the blast site.

Lewis credits Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills for helping him find strength in the days since the attack. But he fears others like him—witnesses and neighbors who haven’t yet come to terms with what they experienced—may also be silently struggling.

“This city will rise,” Lewis said. “This city is resilient. And it will be strong.”

Mental health professionals across the Coachella Valley are already mobilizing to provide support. Group therapy sessions and counseling resources are being made available through community partners and city agencies, including The Center and EngagePalmSprings.com.

As the city recovers physically, many residents are just beginning the emotional healing process.

Credit: NBC Palm Springs

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