Official FBI statements or press releases

Army Green Beret Dies in Tesla Cybertruck Explosion Packed With Fireworks Outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas

Jan 2, 2025, 04:37 PM

Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty U.S. Army soldier and member of the elite Green Berets, was identified as the person who died in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The incident occurred on New Year's Day, and the truck was packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters. Livelsberger, who had served in the Army since 2006 and was on approved leave at the time of the explosion, was highly decorated with two Bronze Stars, a combat infantry badge, and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. The FBI is conducting law enforcement activities at a home in Colorado Springs related to the explosion, and the truck was rented in Colorado before arriving in Las Vegas. The explosion injured seven other people nearby, but the truck's design contained the blast, directing it upwards and preventing further damage to the hotel. The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, with no definitive link found to a separate attack in New Orleans earlier that day.