Las Vegas – Matthew Livelsberger, the U.S. Army veteran responsible for detonating explosives inside a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, ended his life shortly after a personal crisis. Knewz.com reports that just six days before his suicide, Livelsberger’s wife left him following a heated argument over allegations of infidelity.
Livelsberger, 37, left his home in Colorado Springs the day after Christmas after his wife confronted him about the affair. The couple, who share a young daughter, had an intense argument, and shortly afterward, Livelsberger rented a Tesla Cybertruck through the Turo app. He then drove to the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
At 8:40 a.m. on January 1, Livelsberger set off explosives hidden inside the vehicle, which resulted in a deadly blast. He fatally shot himself in the head shortly afterward. The truck’s structure helped contain much of the explosion, preventing further damage.
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Initial investigations suggested a potential political motive behind the attack, as it took place outside the Trump Hotel, and the vehicle chosen, a Tesla, could have been linked to Elon Musk’s connections with President-elect Donald Trump. However, further developments point to Livelsberger’s personal issues as the likely driving force behind the explosion, rather than political motives.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill said, “It’s a Tesla truck, we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it’s the Trump hotel, so there’s obviously something to look at.” However, authorities are now focusing on Livelsberger’s personal struggles.
Livelsberger served in the U.S. Army for over 19 years, including 18 years in Special Forces. His most recent role was as a Remote and Autonomous Systems Manager, a position he held for three months before the incident.
This event comes on the heels of a deadly attack in New Orleans carried out by Texan-born Shamsud Din Jabbar, who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 15 and injuring many others. Like Livelsberger, Jabbar’s vehicle was rented through the Turo app, and both incidents involved electric vehicles.
Investigators are exploring potential links between the two attacks. McMahill commented, “Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know. We’re absolutely looking into any connections to New Orleans.”
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Authorities later found unexploded devices, firearms, and remote detonation equipment inside Jabbar’s truck. Additional explosives were discovered in the French Quarter. Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot by police after he exited the vehicle and began shooting.
The FBI’s New Orleans field office is conducting multiple court-authorized searches in New Orleans and other states as part of its investigation into potential terrorist connections.
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