Matthew Livelsberger — the suspected driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Yr’s Day exterior the Trump Worldwide Las Vegas Lodge — died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound previous to the blast, officers mentioned at a Thursday press briefing.
Investigators had already collected vital proof that Livelsberger was behind the wheel of the car earlier than publicly confirming their suspicions.
Officers discovered credit score and identification playing cards in his title, buy data figuring out him because the proprietor of weapons discovered within the destroyed car and recognized tattoos just like Livelsberger’s on the motive force’s physique, bodily accidents to which slowed the identification course of.
The Clark County Coroner in the end recognized Livelsberger — of Colorado Springs, Colorado — as the motive force on Thursday. His reason behind loss of life was a self-inflicted intraoral gunshot wound.
Police shared this photograph of Matthew Livelsberger throughout a press convention.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division
Nobody else was critically harm, although seven bystanders sustained minor accidents, officers mentioned.
An active-duty Military soldier, Livelsberger was discovered with a gun at his toes. Two firearms — one handgun and one rifle — had been discovered within the car “burnt past recognition,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division mentioned.
Each weapons had been bought legally on Monday, he added.
Livelsberger rented the Tesla car on Saturday in Denver by way of the Turo app, earlier than driving to Las Vegas by cities in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. His progress was tracked by Tesla charging stations, officers mentioned.
The car first pulled into the Trump Worldwide Las Vegas Lodge valet space simply after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers mentioned. It then left the realm, driving alongside Las Vegas Boulevard, earlier than returning to the valet space at about 8:39 a.m., exploding 17 seconds after its arrival.
Flames rise from a Tesla Cybertruck after it exploded exterior the Trump Worldwide Lodge Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 1, 2025 on this screengrab taken from a social media video.
Alcides Antunes by way of Reuters
Livelsberger served as a Inexperienced Beret within the Military and was on authorized depart from serving in Germany on the time of his loss of life, a U.S. Military spokesperson mentioned Thursday.
He acquired intensive decorations in fight, together with the Bronze Star with a “V” gadget for valor, indicating heroism underneath fireplace. Livelsberger acquired 4 extra commonplace Bronze Star medals, in accordance with Military data. He additionally earned the Afghanistan Marketing campaign Medal with three stars. Every star represents service in a separate marketing campaign in Afghanistan.
The Las Vegas incident is just not believed to have any direct connection to the New Yr’s Day truck assault in New Orleans that killed 14 folks — in addition to the suspect — and injured 35 others, in accordance with the FBI. The truck used within the New Orleans assault was additionally rented utilizing the Turo app, officers mentioned.
“At this level, there isn’t a definitive hyperlink between the assault right here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas,” the FBI’s Christopher Raia mentioned Thursday morning at a press convention on the New Orleans assault.
The 2 drivers could have overlapped at Fort Liberty or in Afghanistan, although no proof suggests the 2 ever had been assigned collectively or knew one another, McMahill mentioned.
President Joe Biden, in remarks Thursday, mentioned federal investigators haven’t any proof of a connection between the assaults however mentioned he had directed them to maintain trying.
This undated photograph, offered by the Las Vegas Police Division, exhibits the stays of the Tesla Cybertruck concerned in an explosion exterior the Trump Lodge in Las Vegas.
AP
Livelsberger was a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, an official briefed on the probe informed ABC Information. His spouse, who investigators spoke to in Colorado Springs, mentioned he had been out of the home since round Christmas after a dispute over allegations of infidelity, the official mentioned.
His spouse informed officers she didn’t consider Livelsberger would wish to harm anybody, the official informed ABC Information.
Livelsberger is believed to have informed the individual he rented the truck from that he was going tenting on the Grand Canyon, the official informed ABC Information.
Investigators are nonetheless seeking to decide how the gadgets within the truck had been detonated, however with the contents of the car so badly burned, it might be a sluggish course of, in accordance with the official.
Matthew Livelsberger in his LinkedIn profile photograph.
The sheriff mentioned Tesla CEO Elon Musk helped the investigation by having the truck unlocked after it auto-locked within the blast and by giving investigators video of the suspect at charging stations alongside its route from Colorado to Las Vegas.
McMahill mentioned police consider the explosion was an “remoted incident” and that “there isn’t a additional menace to the group.” He additionally mentioned police don’t consider anybody was serving to the Las Vegas suspect.
“We consider every little thing is protected now,” McMahill mentioned.
Video performed on the Las Vegas information convention confirmed a load of fireworks-style mortars, gasoline cans and tenting gasoline canisters at the back of the truck.
The property is the topic of frequent threats and heightened safety given its connection to Trump.
A broken U.S. authorities identification of Matthew Livelsberger, 37, is held by an investigator in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, 2025.
Lvmpd/by way of Reuters
