Las Vegas, NV — A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, killing the driver inside and injuring at least seven others, authorities confirmed. There is an investigation underway to determine whether the explosion was linked to a recent attack in New Orleans, and terrorism as a motivation has not yet been ruled out.

A Tesla Cybertruck is on fire and exploding outside of a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. If you’re looking for a more perfect metaphor for the state of America right now you won’t find it. pic.twitter.com/PBrBHJb5Dm

— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) January 1, 2025

The driver of the Cybertruck, identified as Matthew Livelsberger, 37, is listed on LinkedIn as an Operations Director and Intelligence Manager with Special Forces experience. Livelsberger had several Colorado Springs addresses associated to him according to senior law enforcement sources.

A sheriff with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says that he doesn’t know if the event is a “coincidence” but he noted that authorities are investigating possible links to the deadly truck attack in New Orleans, where 15 people were killed by a driver who rammed a truck into a crowd. Although the two events have not yet been connected, police are considering the possibility.

“We aren’t ruling anything out,” Sheriff McMahill said during a news conference on Wednesday. “We are absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world.”

The explosion occurred around 8:40 a.m. local time, after the Cybertruck, which had been rented in Colorado through the Turo app, pulled into the hotel’s valet area. Video footage showed fireworks mortars and gas canisters packed in the truck’s bed, with some suggesting that large fireworks or a bomb caused the blast. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the explosion’s cause, stating that the truck’s vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the incident.

“It’s unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk wrote on X, referring to the incident. “The explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck.”

Before the explosion, the truck had been in the valet area for only 15 to 20 seconds. Charred remains of a body that is likely Livelsberger was recovered in the truck with a bullet in the head. A handgun was found near the feet. It’s unclear if Livelsberger shot himself and if so, when he did. Sheriff McMahill said on Thursday he believed the situation was “a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately thereafter.”

The explosion prompted evacuations at the Trump Hotel, a 64-story tower on the Las Vegas Strip. Seven people nearby sustained minor injuries, while several witnesses described hearing multiple explosions. Ana Bruce, a tourist from Brazil, said she heard three explosions, including one that caused significant damage according to NPR.

Investigators have traced the truck’s path using video footage captured at Tesla charging stations. In response to the incident, Turo, the car rental company, stated that it was cooperating with law enforcement. The company emphasized that neither renter involved in the Las Vegas nor New Orleans incidents had a criminal background that would have flagged them as security threats.

Elon Musk has recently been a key supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, even co-leading an initiative aimed at reducing government size and spending. Though there is no indication that the explosion was politically motivated, investigators are examining whether the blast could be connected to the political ties between Musk and Trump. Livelsberger’s uncle told The Independent that “he loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American.”

The investigation is ongoing, with federal and local authorities continuing to piece together evidence and determine the motive behind the explosion.

New Orleans Attack Could Be Linked to Explosion

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between the Las Vegas explosion and a deadly attack in New Orleans just hours earlier. The FBI has identified the suspect involved in the tragic incident on Bourbon Street, where 15 people, including the driver, were killed. The attacker, 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, rammed his pickup truck into a crowd around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, injuring over 35 people.

Following the attack, Jabbar crashed the vehicle and shot two responding officers before being killed by police. Authorities report that they found an ISIL (ISIS) flag in the truck, and FBI officials indicated that the attack may have been inspired by the terrorist group.

“We are investigating this as an act of terrorism,” said Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans office. President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the New Orleans attack, saying that hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos on social media indicating that “he was inspired by ISIS expressing the desire to kill.”

In addition to the truck, investigators discovered several improvised explosive devices in the French Quarter, some of which were wired for remote detonation. The FBI is also looking into possible associates of Jabbar and whether he had any affiliations with terrorist organizations. Surveillance footage has shown multiple individuals placing explosives in the area, further raising concerns about the scope of the attack. But Federal investigators believe the three men and one woman seen in the French Quarter in surveillance video were not involved in placing improvised explosive devices according to CNN.

Both the Las Vegas and New Orleans explosions are being closely scrutinized for any potential links, as authorities continue to piece together the events surrounding these tragic incidents.

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