The person who authorities believe died in the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside one of Donald Trump’s US hotels was an active-duty US army soldier, US officials have said.
Two law enforcement officials identified the man inside the vehicle as Matthew Livelsberger, according to the AP news agency.
The vehicle caught fire outside the president-elect’s hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day. Seven people suffered minor injuries.
The explosion is being looked at as a possible terror attack, officers have said. As yet, no cause for the explosion has been given, but fireworks mortars, cannisters and other explosive devices were found in the back of the truck.
The incident occurred just hours after a man drove a truck into crowds celebrating the New Year in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 15 people.
Officers are investigating whether the incidents are connected, Sheriff Kevin McMahill, from Las Vegas police, has said. However, law enforcement officers who spoke to NBC earlier said they did not believe the two incidents were linked.
Mr McMahill said the truck involved in the explosion in Las Vegas was rented in Colorado and arrived in the city at 7.30am local time (3.30pm UK time).
“It went immediately up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before immediately pulling into the Trump Towers,” he added.
The 64-storey hotel is just behind the famous Las Vegas Strip and opposite the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.
Tesla is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk who has been a close ally of Mr Trump – donating millions to his successful 2024 US election campaign. He has also been tasked with leading Mr Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Mr McMahill said Mr Musk provided officers with “quite a lot of additional information in regards to how the vehicle was locked after it exploded… as well as being able to capture all of the video from the Tesla charging stations across the country”.
Earlier, Mr Musk wrote on X: “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.”
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