Sheriff: Cybertruck Driver Shot Himself Before Blast

Driver apparently intended to cause much more damage with explosives
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 2, 2025 2:12 PM CST
Sheriff: Cybertruck Explosion Likely a Suicide
This image provided by Alcides Antunes shows a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.   (Alcides Antunes via AP)

Authorities in Las Vegas say that Wednesday's Tesla Cybertruck blast appears to have been a suicide, but one intended to inflict other casualties. Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters on Thursday that it appears the driver died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head before explosives in the vehicle detonated, reports the Washington Post. The explosion took place outside a hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump and left seven people with minor injuries.

Authorities suspect the man intended to cause more damage, but, as the AP puts it, "the explosive was rudimentary and the steel-sided vehicle absorbed much of the force." Authorities believe the man was special-ops Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger of Colorado Springs, but they have not confirmed his identity. The explosion was mostly contained within the vehicle instead of damaging the nearby hotel. "The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience," says Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Police found two guns inside the vehicle, one at the driver's feet. They also found fireworks mortars, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone, and a smartwatch, said the sheriff. The AP reports that Livelsberger, 37, served in the elite Green Berets special forces unit and was awarded two Bronze Stars for heroism during combat. He was on approved leave at the time of the explosion. (The FBI has found no link to the same-day truck attack in New Orleans.)

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