A highly decorated U.S. Army soldier, believed to be Matthew Livelsberger, 37, died by suicide inside a Tesla Cybertruck before it exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel. Authorities report the man shot himself in the head, and that the vehicle's structure mitigated the force of a rudimentary explosive device.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill confirmed a handgun was discovered near the driver's body, and officials believe the shot was self-inflicted. Initial investigations suggest Livelsberger may have intended to cause more damage, but the steel-sided Cybertruck absorbed much of the blast.
The explosion, according to officials, "vented out and up", limiting damage to the interior of the vehicle. Experts noted the level of sophistication of the explosive was not indicative of the man's military training and experience.
Among the items recovered from the charred remains of the truck were a second firearm, multiple fireworks, a passport, military identification, credit cards, a smartphone, and a smartwatch. Law enforcement confirmed that both firearms were legally purchased.
While the remains have not been definitively identified, authorities stated that the recovered identification and tattoos align with the soldier's description. Livelsberger, who served as a Green Beret, had a distinguished military career with deployments to Afghanistan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo and several Bronze Stars for his service.
The rented Tesla's travel path was mapped, showing that it was charged multiple times across the southwest in the days leading up to the incident. Charging stops were recorded in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. On the day of the explosion, the truck was seen on the Las Vegas Strip early Wednesday morning.
The FBI has acknowledged conducting an investigation at a Colorado Springs residence in connection to the incident. However, they have not released further information. Additionally, while investigators acknowledged similarities between this event and a recent attack in New Orleans, they have stated "no definitive link" exists.
The blast caused minor injuries to seven people in the vicinity. Video footage revealed the charred remnants of fireworks and other devices in the truck bed. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated the explosion was caused by the devices inside the Cybertruck and was unrelated to the vehicle itself, citing "positive telemetry" before the incident.
