Many questions related to the Cybertruck explosion have not been answered, such as why the suspect drove 1,300 km to the Trump hotel to detonate or why he chose a Tesla.
On the morning of January 1, a Tesla Cybertruck parked outside the entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, emitted smoke and exploded, injuring 7 people. Police found the driver’s body burned beyond recognition, as well as fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel in the car.
Based on tattoos and DNA, officials identified the driver as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37 years old, an active duty US Army Green Beret, from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Livelsberger used a gun to shoot him in the head before the car exploded.
Police searched Livelsberger’s residence in Colorado, gathering more clues but leaving many unanswered questions.
Matthew Livelsberger, the driver in the Cybertruck car explosion in front of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 1. Image: Fox News
Why did the suspect drive 1,300 km to Las Vegas?
Livelsberger rented Tesla’s Cybertruck on December 28, 2024 in Denver, Colorado, through the car sharing application Turo. Data extracted by Tesla technicians showed that the Cybertruck passed through cities in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona before arriving in Las Vegas. Livelsberger was the only person driving the vehicle.
Livelsberger legally purchased two guns. According to data from security surveillance cameras, the Cybertruck entered Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. on January 1. Livelsberger drove around the area for a while and then parked in front of the Trump hotel at 8:39 a.m. 17 seconds later, the car exploded.
“We still have a lot of data to review,” Mr. Koren said on January 3. “There are thousands, even millions of videos, photos, documents and website access history. All need to be analyzed.”
Matthew Livelsberger’s 1,300 km journey from Denver to Las Vegas. Image: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Why did the suspect detonate in front of the Trump hotel?
Las Vegas Police Chief Kevin McMahill on January 3 announced the content of the suicide note Livelsberger left on the phone, found at the suspect’s home. The special forces soldiers wrote that the act of exploding the car was to “wake up” the country and “this is not terrorism”.
“Americans only pay attention to unusual and violent events. There is no better way to convey my point than a display of fireworks and explosives,” Livelsberger wrote.
It is unclear why Livelsberger chose to detonate in front of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel. In the phone letter, Livelsberger expressed right-wing views and criticized the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the US military leadership, calling for a “restart” of the country. “Let’s try peaceful means first, but also be prepared to fight to remove the Democrats from the federal government and military by any means necessary,” he wrote.
Sources familiar with Levelsberger described the special forces soldier as a “Trump supporter.” Levelsberger’s relatives said the special forces soldier called Mr. Trump “a soldier’s best friend.” In his suicide note, Livelsberger called on the American people to “unite to support” Mr. Trump, Mr. Musk and RFK Jr., who was nominated to be the US secretary of health and human services.
Spencer Evans, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent in charge of the Las Vegas branch, said Livelsberger “bears no grudge against the President-elect,” while police chief McMahill said Livelsberger had considered other locations. , like the US-Mexico border or the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
“The incident happened in front of Mr. Trump’s building and the car was manufactured by Tesla, but there is not enough information to determine whether this was an ideological action or another reason,” according to Special Agent Evans. “Livelsberger has no criminal record. There is nothing that has brought him to our attention so far.”
The suspect’s mental condition?
In the letter, Livelsberger, who was deployed to Afghanistan, said he wanted to “purge from my mind the images of my lost comrades, as well as free myself from the burden of the lives I took.” Go”.
FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans suggested that Livelsberger may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evans added that family issues or personal grievances in life could have been contributing factors to Livelsberger’s actions.
New York Post reported that Livelsberger left the home he shared with his second wife the day after Christmas, after they argued about an affair. In the days before his death, he was said to have texted multiple ex-girlfriends. One of them, a military nurse named Alicia Arritt, said that Livelsberger had symptoms of traumatic brain injury since 2018 but did not receive treatment.
CNN Sources familiar with Livelsberger’s military records said he had been diagnosed with depression last year but had not been assessed as a risk of violence or suicide.
Why did the suspect choose the Cybertruck?
Investigators have not yet determined why Livelsberger chose the Cybertruck. Billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump, and will be in charge of the Government Performance Committee in the new administration.
Arrit texted his ex-girlfriend about renting a Cybertruck. “It’s really cool. I feel like Batman or Halo,” according to the text of the message dated December 29, 2024.
Mr. Musk said that the Cybertruck’s design has helped save many lives. “The Cybertruck is the worst choice for a bomb car because its stainless steel shell has the ability to limit explosions better than any other vehicle on the market,” Mr. Musk commented.
Chief McMahill said the exterior of the car was intact, because the force of the explosion was mainly directed upward, not radiating around. He also pointed out that the glass door at the hotel entrance, which was a few meters away from the car, was not broken.
Investigators examined the Cybertruck. Image: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Livelsberger’s actions showed that the special forces soldiers did not seem to have any intention of building a car bomb. Car bombs often carry shrapnel to increase damage, while the Cybertruck only contains fireworks and fuel, the explosion cannot even break the vehicle’s windshield.
“If intentionally building a car bomb, an individual with extensive military experience would not act like that,” said Kenneth Cooper, special agent of the Tobacco, Firearms and Alcohol Task Force (ATF). .
The Cybertruck explosion occurred a few hours after a car crash in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people and injuring dozens. The suspect who drove the car, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 years old, was shot down by local police.
Jabbar served in the US Army and was stationed at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, North Carolina, with Levelsberger. The two suspects were deployed to Afghanistan and both rented cars through Turo. These common points lead to speculation that the two events are related.
Mr. McMahill said on January 2 that police have not found any connection between the two incidents. “It’s a very large base. We don’t have information about them being in the same unit or stationed in the same year at Fort Bragg,” according to the Las Vegas police chief.
The scene of a car crash in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 1. Image: AP
A relative described Livelsberger as a bright and well-liked student in high school. This person has not seen Livelsberger for many years, but still updates information via social networks.
“He participated in most of the popular sports and was often the captain,” he said, adding that Livelsberger soon wanted to join the task force.
“If really wanted, it could hurt a lot of people,” he added. “But that is not and has never been Livelsberger’s nature.”