Italian
Identified the victim, a 37-year-old U.S. soldier
LAS VEGAS. A Tesla Cybertruck exploded on the morning of January 1, 2025, in front of the entrance of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, causing the death of the man inside the vehicle and injuring seven other people nearby, fortunately not seriously. Local authorities have identified the victim as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old U.S. soldier. According to initial investigations, the man is believed to have taken his own life with a firearm before the explosion.
The explosion and the investigations
The accident occurred around 8:40 in the morning (17:40 in Italy). Inside the Cybertruck, law enforcement found several containers of gasoline, other fuels, and fireworks mortars, elements that contributed to the violent explosion.
Sheriff of Las Vegas, Kevin McMahill, stated that they consider the incident as an “isolated event,” but authorities are still investigating possible connections with the attack that occurred just a few hours earlier in New Orleans, where a former soldier drove into a crowd, killing at least 14 people. Both men had indeed served at Fort Liberty military base in North Carolina, albeit at different times and units.
No Connection with International Terrorism
Currently, investigations have not found any links between Matthew Alan Livelsberger and terrorist groups, including ISIS or other extremist organizations. Authorities are ruling out, at least for now, a terrorist motive behind the incident.
The rented vehicle and dynamics
The Cybertruck had been rented in Colorado through the Turo app, the same app also used by the attacker in New Orleans. After arriving in Las Vegas around 7:30 in the morning, the vehicle roamed around the city center for about an hour before stopping in front of the Trump Hotel and exploding approximately 15 seconds later.
Tesla’s and Elon Musk’s stance
Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, stated on X that the explosion would have been caused by fireworks or a homemade bomb and not by structural defects of the vehicle. However, authorities have not yet officially confirmed the precise causes of the explosion.
The accident has raised new questions about the safety of electric vehicles and their vulnerability in extreme situations, as authorities continue to work to clarify every detail of the incident.
