Police say gas containers and “firework mortars” were visible in the bed of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas early Wednesday, killing the vehicle’s occupant—an unexplained incident police are reportedly probing as a possible terrorist act, just hours after a truck attack in New Orleans.
The Trump Tower, located on the Las Vegas Strip, is pictured in 2009.
The explosion was reported in the valet area in front of the high-rise Trump International Hotel at about 8:40 a.m. local time, killing one unnamed person inside the Cybertruck and inflicting minor injuries on another seven people, according to local police and fire officials.
The truck—which was rented in Colorado and driven to Las Vegas on Wednesday—appeared to contain gasoline and camp fuel canisters along with “large firework mortars,” Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a press conference, pointing to footage of the vehicle.
McMahill said it’s unclear how the truck was ignited.
CNN and ABC News both reported the fire is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, citing unnamed sources—though ABC says it’s unclear whether the explosion was intentional, and police are treating it as a possible terrorist act until they learn more.
Jeremy Schwarz, the FBI’s acting special agent-in-charge for Las Vegas, said investigators are still trying to “determine whether this was an act of terrorism or not.”
President-elect Donald Trump’s son Eric, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, confirmed on X a car caught fire in front of the Las Vegas hotel, adding, “the safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk—a Trump ally—said the company is conducting its own probe and noted, “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
McMahill said damage to the hotel is limited because the body of the Cybertruck directed the blast upward. Still, guests were evacuated from the Trump property after the explosion and brought to Resorts World Las Vegas.
Unclear. McMahill did not name the person who was killed in the explosion, saying police are still working to confirm an identity. He said police are aware of who rented the truck.
Police haven’t indicated whether they believe there’s a link to the New Orleans attack—but McMahill says police are “absolutely investigating any connectivity” and are “not ruling anything out yet.” The Cybertruck caught fire less than 12 hours after a man rammed a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of people in New Orleans, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens. President Joe Biden said late Wednesday federal law enforcement is looking into any possible connections, but there’s nothing to report right now. McMahill noted “we don’t have any indication” of an overt connection to ISIS—unlike in New Orleans, where the FBI says it found an ISIS flag—but police are still investigating.
The Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas and the Ford used in the New Orleans attack both were rented through Turo, an app that allows vehicle owners to rent out their cars or trucks, the Associated Press says. McMahill said investigators are looking into any possible connections.