The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s Day has been identified as U.S. Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger, who was serving with the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany. He parked the truck outside the hotel and it exploded, killing him and injuring seven others. The explosion caused a ball of fire and fireworks to go off in all directions. The Army confirmed that Livelsberger, a Master Sergeant, was on approved leave at the time of his death, and had served in various capacities in the Army since 2006.
Records show that Livelsberger had multiple addresses linked to him, the most recent being an overseas mailing address for the US Armed Forces. The investigation into the explosion, which involved gasoline, camp fuel, and large fireworks mortars stored in the truck, led law enforcement officials to a home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A relative reported that Livelsberger’s wife had not heard from him in several days, raising suspicions about his activities leading up to the incident. The Cybertruck was rented in Colorado, showcasing the complexity of Livelsberger’s movements prior to the explosion.
In a separate incident on the same day, a man named Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a white pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 15 people in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism. The truck, rented from a peer-to-peer company like the Cybertruck, had an ISIS flag attached to its trailer hitch. The FBI conducted searches related to this attack in Houston and has not provided further details about the ongoing investigation. The Turo spokesperson stated that neither renter had a criminal background that would have raised red flags prior to the attacks.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill praised the design of the Cybertruck for withstanding most of the explosion, limiting the damage caused to the surroundings. Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided information regarding the locking mechanism of the vehicle after the explosion, as well as surveillance footage from charging stations across the country. Musk confirmed on social media that the explosion was caused by large fireworks or a bomb in the bed of the Cybertruck and was unrelated to the vehicle itself. He commended the Cybertruck for containing the explosion and directing the blast upwards, minimizing damage to the hotel lobby.
The incidents involving Livelsberger and Jabbar have raised questions about security protocols at rental car companies and potential warning signs that may have been missed prior to the attacks. The use of peer-to-peer rentals for vehicles used in acts of terrorism has sparked concerns about how to prevent such tragedies in the future. Authorities are working to piece together the events leading up to the explosions and determine any potential connections between the two attackers. The ongoing investigations into the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks are crucial in understanding the motives and ideologies behind these acts of violence.
