Link found between New Orleans terror attack and Tesla Cybertruck explosion
The alleged Tesla Cybertruck bomber has been identified as US Army veteran Matthew Livelsberger.
Livelsberger, 37, reportedly served at the same army base as the New Orleans terror suspect who killed 15 in a horror massacre on the same day.
The terrifying blast outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels killed Livelsberger and injured several others on New Year’s Day.
Police are still probing the deadly explosion to see if it was an “act of terror”.
Shocking footage caught the moment the car erupted outside the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel just before 9am on Wednesday.
Loud bangs can be heard throughout the short video as black smokes fill the Nevada air.
An ambulance and multiple cop cars rushed to the hotel, located just off the main world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
The Cybertruck was ripped apart with its metal paneling flying across the street with up to seven people injured.
Livelsberger, from Colorado, has since been named as the driver of the rented Tesla, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.
Police reportedly swarmed one of his home addresses in Colorado Springs late on Wednesday to search the property, KTNV reported.
The truck was also thoroughly checked after the flames were extinguished with cops discovering fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel.
These were all connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver, CNN reports.
New Orleans suffers terror attack
Fifteen people were killed when a truck ploughed into revellers in the party hotspot of New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day before opening fire.
He was gunned down by police, with officers saying they believe the suspect may not have been working alone after an ISIS flag was found.
The suspect has been identified as US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42.
He was wearing full body armour and armed with an assault rifle when he allegedly attacked innocent revellers.
Just hours later the Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
Elon Musk claimed the blast was “terrorism” related and that the events may be linked.
President Joe Biden spoke out after the incident saying that there was a possible link between the two suspects.
Speaking on the Las Vegas blast, the outgoing president said: “Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there is any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans.
“Thus far there is nothing to report on that score for this time.”
Investigators earlier revealed that “large firework mortars” and gas canisters were found in the back of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas.
Footage of the deadly incident, captured on Wednesday morning local time, shows the Tesla-made electric vehicle bursting into a ball of flames while parked directly outside the entrance to the hotel.
Another video, taken from inside the hotel, shows flames pouring out of the vehicle as an alarm blares inside the building.
In a post to X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed it had been confirmed that the explosion was caused by “very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck”. He said the incident, which saw the car burst into flames, is “unrelated to the vehicle itself”.
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk said.
Investigators revealed that “large firework mortars” and gas canisters were found in the back of the vehicle.
Mr Musk went on to claim 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,” he said.
In another post, the Tesla founder claimed the incident “appears to be a likely act of terrorism” and suggested it could be related to the New Orleans attack, writing: “Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way.”
Speaking at a press conference regarding the Cybertruck explosion, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill referenced the New Orleans attack but did not explicitly link the two cases.
“We’re very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans with the event that occurred there, and the number of victims there and the additional IEDs,” the sheriff said.
“So as you can imagine, with an explosion here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe.
“There does not appear to be any further threat to our community now.”
Mr McMahill revealed the truck had been rented in Colorado, with authorities tracing the Cybertruck through Tesla charging stations.
“I have to thank Elon Musk specifically. He gave us quite a bit of additional information in regards to how the vehicle was locked after it exploded, due to … the nature of the force from the explosion,” he said.
“[They were] able to capture all of the video from Tesla charging stations across the country.[Musk] sent that truck directly to us, so I appreciate his help on that.”
The vehicle arrived in Las Vegas at around 7.30am local time, driving up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before pulling up outside the hotel.
The explosion was reported at about 8.40am local time.
“We were told that a 2024 Cybertruck pulled up to the front of the hotel, and, in fact, I can tell you it pulled right up to the glass entrance doors of the hotel,” Mr McMahill said.
“We saw smoke start showing from the vehicle, and then an explosion from the truck occurs.”
He said authorities were investigating a “number of leads”
The hotel was evacuated and guests have been moved to the nearby Resorts World Las Vegas.
Previously, Musk said the “whole Tesla senior team” was investigating the deadly incident “right now”.
“Will post more information as soon as we learn anything. We’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.
A guest who was staying at the hotel when the explosion occurred claimed the force of the blast shook the windows.
The man, who goes by Stephen Felando on X, filmed the clouds of smoke billowing below his room.
“Holy sh*t a massive explosion just happened here … Something major just exploded here at the Las Vegas Trump international,” he said.
“Something just went off in the valet section. Something just blew, the windows here shimmied and shaked. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Eric Trump released a statement on X following the incident, writing: “Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas. The safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism.”
