Cybertruck explosion outside Trump Tower investigated as possible act of terrorism

The destroyed Cybertruck in Las Vegas

One person has been killed after a Tesla Cybertruck, filled with fuel and fireworks, exploded outside Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas.

The blast, which police are investigating as a possible terrorist attack, occurred in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel on New Year’s Day. Video footage showed the vehicle bursting into flames.

The driver, named by media outlets as 37-year-old army veteran Matthew Livelsberger, was killed in the blast which also left seven other people injured.

Tesla, which manufactures the Cybertruck, is owned by Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who has become a close ally of president-elect Trump and will co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

The Cybertruck exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Police and FBI agents have told journalists that the incident is being looked into as terror-related, but that is one of many lines of inquiry and the motive remains unknown.

ā€œThis is a Tesla truck and we know that Elon Musk is working with president-elect Trump, and itā€™s the Trump Tower,ā€ Las Vegas County sheriff Kevin McMahill said on Wednesday (1 January). ā€œSo, there [are] obviously things to be concerned about and itā€™s something we continue to look at.

ā€œAt this time, we are investigating a number of leads and Iā€™m not prepared to release any of that information just yet.”

FBI special agent Jeremy Schwartz told reporters: “Everybody’s interested in trying to see if we can say, ‘Hey, this is a terrorist attack’. Our number-one goal is to ensure that we have the proper identification of the subject involved.

ā€œFollowing that, our second objective is to determine whether this was an act of terrorism or not.ā€

You may like to watch

The explosion came just hours after a driver rammed a truck into a crowd of people celebrating New Year’s Day in the French quarter of New Orleans, killing 15 people and injuring dozens of others.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 42-year-old US military veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was shot dead by police.

A flag with the symbol of terrorist organisation Islamic State is said to have been attached to the back of his car, and there are reports that the police found evidence of his support for the group on social media.

Authorities are investigating if there is a link between the two incidents.

It is not yet known if the Las Vegas explosion is linked to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden said: “We’re tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there’s any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans.”

In a published statement, Biden said of the attack in New Orleans: “The FBI is taking the lead and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.

“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state and local law enforcement work to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind.

“There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nationā€™s communities.”

How did this story make you feel?

Sending reaction...
Thanks for your feedback!

Please login or register to comment on this story.