A U.S. Army Green Beret was the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, officials confirmed to local news outlets.
The man, identified by officials as Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, died at the scene. Seven other people sustained minor injuries in the blast, said Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Livelsberger allegedly drove the 2024 Cybertruck to the front of the hotel after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, pulling into a space directly in front of the entrance doors. Smoke started emanating from the truck just before the large blast blew it apart, McMahill said. Firework mortars and camp fuel canisters were found inside the vehicle.
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said Wednesday on X.
Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge for the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said the agency was working to determine whether the blast was an act of terrorism.
Livelsberger was a member of the Army’s elite special forces unit, the Green Berets. U.S. Special Operations Command confirmed Thursday he was on approved leave at the time of the Las Vegas explosion.
He served a total of 19 years. Livelsberger enlisted in the Army as a special forces candidate in January 2006, an Army spokesperson said. He remained on active duty until March 2011, at which point he joined the Army National Guard. He switched to the Army Reserve in July 2012 and then reentered active duty in December 2012.
Livelsberger deployed twice to Afghanistan and served in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a Combat Infantry Badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor.
Authorities told local news outlets Thursday that Livelsberger was a resident of Colorado Springs. The FBI’s Denver office said it was conducting activity at a residential address in the city Thursday, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Colorado Springs Police Department. The FBI said it would be on-site for several hours and that the activity was related to the explosion in Las Vegas.
President Joe Biden said in an address Wednesday night that authorities were investigating any potential connection between the blast and a deadly rampage in New Orleans — another possible act of terrorism — that occurred the same day. A U.S. Army veteran rammed a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 15 people.
“Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there’s a possible connection to the attack in New Orleans,” Biden said. “So far, there’s nothing to report on that score.”
Livelsberger spent time at Fort Liberty, formerly named Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to U.S. Special Operations Command. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Army veteran suspected in the New Orleans attack, also spent time at that base. However, one official said so far there is no overlap in their assignments there.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar rented the vehicles used in the attacks through the app Turo, the company confirmed.
“Our trust and safety team is actively partnering with law enforcement authorities to share any information that could be helpful in their investigations,” Turo wrote in a statement. “We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related.”
Authorities don’t think the two men knew each other, two law enforcement officials said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nikki Wentling covers disinformation and extremism for Military Times. She’s reported on veterans and military communities for eight years and has also covered technology, politics, health care and crime. Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others.
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