Man who died in Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel suffered gunshot wound before explosion
FBI investigating, after Tesla Cybertruck, with fireworks and fuel inside, explodes outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
The man who died in a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the device detonated, officials said.
The individual has been identified by officials as Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty US Army soldier.
In a news conference, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that a handgun was found at his feet and officials believe the shot was self-inflicted.
Damage from the blast was mostly limited to the interior of the truck. The blast “vented out and up” and didn’t hit the Trump hotel doors just a few feet away, the sheriff said.
“The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience,” said Kenny Cooper, a special agent in charge for the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Among other items found inside the truck were a second firearm, a number of fireworks, passport, military ID, credit cards, an iPhone and a smartwatch, McMahill said. Authorities said both guns were purchased legally.
Investigators have not definitively identified the remains as Livelsberger, but the IDs and tattoos on the body “give a strong indication that it’s him,” the sheriff said.
Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners, the Army said in a statement.
He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said.
Livelsberger was on approved leave when he died, according to the statement.
The FBI said Thursday in a post on X that it was “conducting law enforcement activity” at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday's explosion but provided no other details.
Firework mortars and gas canisters were found in the back of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel. Officials said Matthew Livelsberger died inside the vehicle.
The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist act, according to a law enforcement official.
In a news conference, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McCahill said a vehicle fire was reported at the hotel just after 8.40am local time on Wednesday and crews arrived to find a 2024 Cybertruck engulfed in flames.
Watch the moment the Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
Another seven people nearby received minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment, McCahill confirmed.
Video from the scene showed a pile of charred fireworks mortars, cannisters and other explosive devices crowded into the back of the pickup.
In a post on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said: “We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
McMahill said on Wednesday that his team were “well aware” of the New Year’s Eve truck attack in New Orleans that killed at least 10 people and injured dozens of others.
However, Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found ‘no definitive link’ between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.
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