Matthew Livelsberger has been named locally as the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel on New Year’s Day was an army veteran who served for nearly two decades.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, has been named locally as the driver of the electric vehicle that blew up in the valet area outside Trump International Hotel in Nevada.
Livelsberger, from Colorado, is thought to have rented the Cybertruck from Turo, a car leasing service, before packing it with firework-style mortars, camping fuel, and canisters.
The explosion is thought to have killed Livelsberger and injured seven others
An intelligence and operations specialist, he spent 19 years in the army, 18 of which were with the special forces, he claimed on his LinkedIn profile.
Reports suggest he had several addresses in Colorado Springs with at least one raided by the FBI on Wednesday night.
Authorities are investigating a possible link between Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist behind the New Orleans car attack that killed 15 people on New Year’s Eve.
Like Livelsberger, Jabbar served in the army and according to some reports worked at the same military base as the alleged Cybertruck bomber.
Jabbar, whose Ford truck was carrying a homemade Islamic State (IS) flag, also hired the vehicle with Turo.
A Turo spokesperson said the company is “actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents”.
They added: “We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.
“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”
Sheriff Kevin McMahill, of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said authorities know who rented the truck in Colorado but are not releasing the name until investigators determine if it is the same person who died.
Law enforcement officials believe Jabbar was not acting alone although it is unclear if the pair crossed paths during their time in the military.
“We are absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world,” Mr McMahill said. “We are not ruling anything out.”
The dramatic explosion in Las Vegas is thought to have killed Livelsberger and injured seven others.
Posts made on Facebook suggest he was a Trump supporter and a firework enthusiast, having once likened fireworks shows to the “sounds of battle”.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department officials said a person died inside the futuristic-looking pick-up truck, which remained largely intact.
Via TMZ | Alcides Antunes
Officials will also likely consider whether Livelsberger purposely chose a car made by Elon Musk given the billionaire’s newfound relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
By late Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still working to get the body out of the vehicle and start processing the evidence inside.
Joe Biden, the US president, was briefed on the explosion.
Elon Musk said the explosion “appears likely to be an act of terrorism”.
Mr Musk, the world’s richest person and Tesla chief executive, said in a statement: “We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
The police are treating the explosion as possibly criminal or an act of terror until a motive is determined.
Meanwhile, details of Jabbar’s background have begun to emerge, including his life as an estate agent, his divorce and his financial troubles.
The FBI said Jabbar is believed to have been honourably discharged and the Pentagon is said to be poring through its records to locate more information about his services and where he had been based.
In a video, believed to be posted by the Texas-born terrorist on YouTube, he said he worked for both the Midas Group and Blue Meadow Properties. He also said he was born in Beaumont, Texas, but was then based in Houston.
Credit: YouTube/Shamsud-Din Jabbar
“I’ve been here all my life, with the exception of travelling for the military, where I spent ten years as a human resources and IT specialist,” said Jabbar, who wore a grey blazer and light blue shirt.
He said he “learnt the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting Is and crossing Ts to make sure that things go off without a hitch”.
He was in considerable financial difficulties, he owed more than $27,000 in late home payments and was at risk of foreclosure, he said, and that he had taken on $16,000 in credit card debt because of his living expenses.
Criminal records reported by The New York Times showed Jabbar had two previous charges for minor offences – one in 2002 for theft and another in 2005 for driving with an invalid licence.
Dwayne Marsh, the husband of Jabbar’s former wife, said Jabbar had begun to convert to Islam within the last year and was “being all crazy”.
The attacks have led to heightened security in major cities across the United States, including New York.
Writing on X, Mayor Eric Adams said there would be heightened security around Trump Tower and Times Square.
He said: “After the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, @NYPDPC and I have been in constant communication. While there are no immediate threats to our city at this time, out of an abundance of caution, we have heightened security and have increased NYPD presence at relevant locations, including at Trump Tower and in Times Square.”
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