Driver in Fatal Cybertruck Explosion at Trump Hotel in Las Vegas ID’d as Army Veteran from Colorado: Reports

Mar. 15, 2025

Investigators have reportedly named the suspect in the fatalCybertruck explosionat the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas as a 37-year-old Army veteran from Colorado.

Matthew Livelsberger of Colorado Springs rented the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the hotel, multiple sources toldDenver7,News 5andKTNV.

Livelsberger, who died in the explosion, was an Army veteran with several Colorado addresses linked to him, theAssociated Pressreports.

TheTesla Cybertruck that explodedoutside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 1 was packed with fireworks and gas canisters, police said.

One person died and seven people suffered injuries after the vehicle exploded outside the hotel at around 8:40 a.m. local time on New Year’s Day, authorities said in a press conference shared onFacebook.

Both attacks are being investigated as possible acts of terror, ABC News reports.

The driver in the New Orleans attack has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, according to astatement from the FBI.

During the press conference, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators found “gasoline canisters,” “camp fuel canisters” and “large firework mortars.”

“The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet,” McMahill told reporters, commenting on the fact the exterior of the truck appeared to be intact, as it “had most of the blast go up through the truck and out.”

Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas.EyePress News/Shutterstoc

EyePress News/Shutterstoc

During the conference, McMahill confirmed the truck had been rented in Colorado via the Turo app, and that officers had been able to trace it through the Tesla charging stations.

He also said that the vehicle had been driven up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before the hotel explosion after arriving in the city at around 7:30 a.m.

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When questioned about possible links to theNew Orleans attackon New Year’s Day thatkilled at least 15 people, the sheriff said they were “absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world.”

“We’re not ruling anything out,” he added.

Acting special agent in charge for the FBI in Las Vegas Jeremy Schwartz said during the conference, “Our number one goal is to ensure that we have the proper identification of the subject involved in this incident."

When questioned about a potential political connection regarding the explosion, McMahill said, “It’s a Tesla truck, and we know that Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it’s the Trump Tower."

“So there’s obviously things to be concerned about and it’s something we continue to look at,” the sheriff said.

source: people.com