US Army veteran named prime suspect in Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Trump hotel: Report

A 37-year-old US Army veteran, Matthew Livelsberger, has been identified as the suspect in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, according to US media reports. The incident occurred at the hotel’s front gate, resulting in one fatality and injuring at least seven others.

According to a report by New York Post, Livelsberger rented the Tesla Cybertruck in Colorado before driving it around Las Vegas and eventually stopping outside the Trump Hotel, where the explosion took place.

FBI investigates potential link with New Orleans rampage

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The FBI is investigating whether there is a connection between the Las Vegas explosion and a deadly rampage in New Orleans.

In the New Orleans incident, a truck was driven into a crowd before the driver opened fire, killing 15 people in all. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din-Jabbar, was also a US Army veteran who served in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.

Both vehicles used in the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents were rented through Turo app, a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform.

Details of the Tesla truck explosion

Investigators found fireworks, gas tanks, and camp fuel in the Cybertruck, which are believed to have contributed to the explosion. Video evidence released by police shows charred gasoline canisters and firework mortars in the vehicle’s bed.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the incident, calling it an "act of terrorism." Musk stated that the Cybertruck’s design minimised the damage by containing the blast and directing it upward, sparing the Trump hotel from significant structural harm.

Authorities continue to investigate both incidents to determine any connections and underlying motives.

(With input from agencies)