The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day has been identified as active-duty U.S. Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger, according to law enforcement officials speaking to The Associated Press. Livelsberger, a 37-year-old U.S. Army special operations soldier on leave from Germany, was killed in the explosion that also injured seven others.
The truck, which contained gasoline, camp fuel containers, and large firework mortars, exploded about 15 to 20 seconds after being parked outside the hotel. Livelsberger had multiple addresses associated with him, including one in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and another in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The FBI in Denver is currently investigating a home in Colorado Springs in connection to the Las Vegas explosion.
Livelsberger's military service history revealed that he served at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, but there was no overlap in assignments with Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in the New Orleans terrorist attack on Bourbon Street that killed 15 people. Both Livelsberger and Jabbar rented vehicles from the peer-to-peer car rental company Turo, but there is no evidence linking their military service to the attacks.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided information about the explosion, confirming that it was caused by fireworks or a bomb in the truck's bed and not a fault with the vehicle itself. Musk praised the Cybertruck for containing the explosion and directing the blast upwards, limiting damage to the surrounding area. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with authorities working to gather more information about Livelsberger and the circumstances surrounding the explosion.