Driver in Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck explosion was US soldier

LAS VEGAS: The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was an active-duty US Army Green Beret, according to sources reported by CNN.

The driver, identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, reportedly shot himself in the head prior to the blast that injured seven people. Livelsberger was serving in Germany with 10th Special Forces Group and was on leave at the time of the incident, CNN reported.

Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill informed on Thursday (local time) at a news conference the driver shot himself in the head prior to the blast. While McMahill and others officials only referred to the driver as the “subject” and “person of interest,” they showed a photo of Livelsberger and gave his name at the news conference.

“I will not come back until I have the confirmation through DNA or medical records that this is indeed, in fact, the subject inside of the vehicle”, McMahill said.

Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger’s wife broke up with him days before explosion outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas: sources https://t.co/FQTNCBbly7 pic.twitter.com/uYX4jqpC4T

— New York Post (@nypost) January 3, 2025

The US Army said Thursday in a statement Livelsberger was on leave at the time of his death, though did not specifically say he died in the Vegas explosion. The US Special Forces, commonly known as the “Green Berets,” bill themselves as an elite fighting force specializing in guerilla warfare and unconventional tactics abroad. As per the LA Times, Livelsberger acted alone and the motivation is under investigation.

Earlier, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the “evil knuckleheads” picked the wrong vehicle to attack as the Cybertruck contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken”, Elon Musk wrote on X.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, speaking about the possible connection between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, said that the investigation is still going on, however, no evidence of such a connection has been found thus far. (ANI)