January 2nd 2025.
At a news conference on Thursday, officials revealed that the man inside the Tesla Cybertruck that caught fire outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel was a decorated US Army soldier. The man, identified as Matthew Livelsberger, had shot himself in the head before the explosion occurred. It was also believed that he had intended to cause more damage, but the sturdy steel-sided vehicle was able to absorb most of the impact from the explosive device.
According to Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, a handgun was found at the man's feet in the driver's seat. The shot appeared to be self-inflicted, officials stated. The explosion caused minimal damage to the truck itself, with most of the force being vented upward instead of towards the nearby Trump hotel. Special Agent Kenny Cooper from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives described the man's actions as not being consistent with someone of his military background.
Inside the truck, authorities found charred items such as a second firearm, fireworks, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone, and a smartwatch. Both guns were legally purchased, and while the remains have not yet been officially identified as Livelsberger, the sheriff stated that the IDs and tattoos on the body strongly indicate that it is him. Livelsberger had served in the Green Berets, a highly trained special forces unit responsible for counterterrorism and training partners abroad.
Livelsberger had been in the Army since 2006 and had a long career with multiple overseas assignments, including deployments to Afghanistan and service in countries such as Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo. He had been awarded five Bronze Stars, a combat infantry badge, and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. At the time of his death, he was on approved leave.
McMahill revealed that Livelsberger had rented the Tesla in Denver on Saturday and had made multiple stops in Colorado and New Mexico before arriving in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The FBI is currently conducting law enforcement activity at a home in Colorado Springs, but no further details have been provided.
The explosion of the truck, which was loaded with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, occurred just hours after another attack in New Orleans. In that incident, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd in the French Quarter, killing 15 people before being shot by police. The FBI initially believed that Jabbar had acted with others, but they have since stated that he acted alone.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar had spent time at Fort Bragg, a large Army base in North Carolina, but it is unclear if their paths had crossed during their time there. However, officials have stated that there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now known as Fort Liberty. The FBI has not found a definitive link between the two attacks.
Seven people near the truck explosion suffered minor injuries, but luckily, the truck's sturdy walls contained most of the blast. In a statement on social media, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the explosion was caused by large fireworks and/or a bomb in the bed of the rented Cybertruck, and was unrelated to the vehicle itself. He also stated that all vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the incident.
Musk has recently been in the news for his involvement with President Trump, but it is worth noting that both men were not in Las Vegas at the time of the explosion. They had attended a New Year's Eve party at Trump's South Florida estate. For those in need of support, Lifeline and Beyond Blue are available to provide assistance.
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