Investigation into Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas shows driver shot himself before the blast, officials say
Authorities shared updates Thursday on their investigation into the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, killing one person.
The Cybertruck had been rented by Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active duty member of the Army Special Forces. Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department referred to the driver of the truck as the subject of the investigation, and said evidence shows the man shot himself in the head before the explosion.
The driver who died was the only person in vehicle when it went up in flames. The condition of the body has prevented law enforcement from making a definitive identification until it gets results of DNA testing.
“His body is burnt beyond recognition, and I do still not have confirmation 100% that that is the individual that was inside of our vehicle,” the sheriff said Thursday.
The explosion early Wednesday morning is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, according to law enforcement, but investigators do not believe there are any lingering threats to the community, FBI agent Jeremy Schwartz said at a news conference later that evening.
Seven others suffered minor injuries because of the explosion.
But officials in Nevada were still waiting on dental records and results of DNA testing to verify the identity of the person driving the truck at the time of the explosion.
“We do know who rented the truck. We are looking at that individual,” said McMahill on Wednesday.
Law enforcement sources said Livelsberger was stationed in Germany but was on leave in Colorado when the blast occurred. Two of Livelsberger’s relatives told CBS News they were unaware of his involvement in the incident but confirmed he had rented a Cybertruck. One relative said his wife had not heard from him in several days.
Federal agents probing the explosion have been at Livelsberger’s townhome in Colorado Springs since Wednesday night, CBS Colorado reported. No one has been evacuated during the investigation there.
The 2024 model Cybertruck was rented in Colorado, McMahill said. It pulled up to the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas about 15 seconds before exploding.
The sheriff told reporters that gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars were discovered in the back of the truck, although it was unclear exactly how the explosives were ignited.
McMahill called the explosion “an isolated incident” and said there was no indication it was connected to ISIS. The blast came just hours after a man intentionally drove a pickup truck flying a black ISIS flag into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people before he was shot and killed by police.