Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty Green Beret, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head before a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, according to police, as law enforcement probe the incident as a possible terrorist act.
Both the man inside the Cybertruck and the suspect who allegedly drove into a crowded New Orleans ... [+]
The coroner for Clark County, Nevada, identified Livelsberger, 37, as the driver of the Cybertruck who died by suicide before the blast, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a press conference Thursday multiple IDs belonging to Livelsberger, including a passport and military ID card, were found inside the Cybertruck, though law enforcement could not initially confirm whether Livelsberger was the driver because the body found in the wreck was “burnt beyond recognition.”
Livelsberger was a member of the Army’s Green Berets special forces unit, served at Fort Bragg, was deployed twice to Afghanistan and was on leave from Germany at the time of the explosion, McMahill said.
Livelsberger was reportedly awarded five Bronze Stars during his service, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor.
Both Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar—identified as the suspect who drove into a crowded street in New Orleans also on New Year’s Day, killing at least 14—served at Fort Bragg at different periods and were deployed to Afghanistan at the same time in the 2000s, and McMahill said investigators are working to determine whether they were stationed in the same province.
Livelsberger and Jabbar rented their vehicles through Turo, a vehicle-sharing app, though the company said in a statement neither had a criminal background that Turo believes would have flagged them as a “security threat.”
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
The FBI said Thursday the agency’s office in Denver and the Colorado Springs Police Department were conducting “law enforcement activity” at a Colorado Springs home related to the explosion, though the agency did not include additional details. The Cybertruck was rented in Colorado before arriving in Las Vegas early Wednesday morning, McMahill said.
Livelsberger lived with his wife and daughter in Colorado Springs, according to the Denver Gazette. Alicia Arritt, Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend, told the outlet Livelsberger’s attitude and behavior appeared to shift in 2019 after he returned from deployment with a traumatic brain injury. He became isolated and showed depressive symptoms, which Arritt said went untreated because it’s not “acceptable to seek treatment when someone is in special forces.” Livelsberger sent text messages to Arritt in the days before the blast, telling Arritt he left his home on Dec. 26 after an argument with his wife. He sent photos of his rented Cybertruck to Arritt, telling her on Dec. 29, “I feel like Batman or halo.” None of the messages sent by Livelsberger before New Year’s Day suggested he would carry out the explosion, Arritt told the Gazette.
Livelsberger picked up his rented Cybertruck in Denver on Dec. 29, before driving south, according to McMahill. He charged the truck on Dec. 30 in Monument, Colorado, before charging it multiple times on New Year’s Eve, including stops in Trinidad, Colorado, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he began traveling west. He stopped two more times that day in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Gallup, New Mexico. On New Year’s Day, Livelsberger charged the Cybertruck in Holbrook and Flagstaff, Arizona, before arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada, shortly at about 5:33 a.m. local time.
A pistol and semi-automatic rifle were found inside the vehicle, and law enforcement determined both were lawfully purchased by Livelsberger, according to Kenneth Cooper, the assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in San Francisco. The handgun was found at the feet of the person inside the truck, according to McMahill. Aerial shells, firework mortars, camp fuel canisters and fuel enhancers were also found, Cooper said, though a probe into what ignited the explosives is ongoing.
The FBI found “no definitive link” between the Cybertruck explosion and the New Orleans attack as investigations into the incidents are in the early stages. Turo noted it was not aware of any information that would indicate the two incidents are related. There is no indication the explosion has connections to ISIS like the New Orleans attack, where the FBI said it found an ISIS flag, McMahill added.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company had confirmed the explosion was caused by “very large fireworks” or an explosive in the Cybertruck’s bed, later saying law enforcement believes the explosion was “most likely intentional.” Musk—echoing a statement from McMahill—suggested the Cybertruck had “contained” the explosion and “directed the blast upwards,” preventing additional damage to the hotel. He added the incident was likely an act of terrorism, noting both the Cybertruck and truck used in the New Orleans attack were rented through Turo (the FBI said investigators are trying to determine whether the incident was an act of terrorism).
A Tesla Cybertruck parked outside the Trump International Hotel exploded at about 8:40 a.m. local time Wednesday, killing at least one person and injuring another seven people. McMahill said the truck appeared to contain gasoline, camp fuel canisters and “large firework mortars,” though it was not immediately clear how the truck was ignited. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and FBI are investigating the explosion as a possible terrorist attack. Earlier in the morning, a rented Ford pickup truck drove into a crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more. The suspect, later identified as 42-year-old Jabbar, flew an ISIS flag on the vehicle and carried additional weapons and possible improvised explosive devices, the FBI said. Jabbar acted alone, according to the agency, which referred to the attack as an act of terrorism.