Tesla Cybertruck Explodes Outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day, Killing Army Special Forces Member Matthew Livelsberger and Injuring Seven

Jan 3, 2025, 08:21 PM

A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in the death of the driver, identified as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces known as the Green Berets. The explosion occurred on New Year's Day and injured seven others. Authorities are investigating whether the incident was an act of terrorism. Livelsberger reportedly died by suicide before the explosion, having shot himself in the head. The vehicle contained legally purchased firearms, including a Desert Eagle and an SLR B30, along with fireworks and other consumer-grade explosive materials. Livelsberger, who had received the Bronze Star with a 'V' device for valor and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, rented the Cybertruck in Denver through Turo and traveled through New Mexico and Arizona before arriving in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, along with the FBI, are actively investigating the incident, with no definitive link found to a similar incident in New Orleans where a truck was used to attack a crowd.