Army veteran dies in Tesla explosion at Trump hotel
Listen To Story Above
The driver who died when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas has been identified as Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Army veteran from Colorado, according to law enforcement sources who spoke with The Post.
The incident involved a rented electric pickup truck that Livelsberger was operating when it detonated in the hotel’s valet area on New Year’s Day. Sources familiar with the investigation revealed to News5 that the vehicle contained firework-style mortars, camping fuel, and various canisters.
BREAKING: The man who exploded the Cybertruck outside of Trump Tower Las Vegas suffered a gunsh*t to the head before detonating the explosives!
This is just getting weirder and weirder… pic.twitter.com/OPVdn97d7b
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 2, 2025
Federal agents descended upon multiple properties linked to Livelsberger in Colorado Springs late Wednesday, as reported by KTNV. The FBI is currently treating the explosion as a potential terrorist act.
The blast claimed Livelsberger’s life and left seven people nearby with minor injuries.
The incident occurred in the wake of another attack in New Orleans, where Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a rented pickup truck through crowds on Bourbon Street, resulting in at least 15 fatalities. Both vehicles involved in these incidents were obtained through the rental platform Turo.
Cybertruck saved this man’s life. No doubt about it. pic.twitter.com/t1mn9h5m9J
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) January 2, 2025
Denver7 has confirmed that both Livelsberger and Jabbar had military backgrounds, having served in the Army. According to KTNV, federal investigators are exploring potential connections between the two incidents.
When contacted by The Post, a man identifying himself as Livelsberger’s father chose not to provide any comments regarding the situation.
