Trump Vegas Bomb Suspect: Bomber shot himself before bomb exploded, police say

Trump Vegas Bomb Suspect: Bomber shot himself before bomb exploded, police say
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day has been identified as active-duty U.S. Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger, The Associated Press is reporting, citing law enforcement officials.

The officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. Livelsberger, 37, has several addresses associated with him and was on leave from Germany, where he was serving with the 10th Special Forces Group.

On Wednesday, he reportedly pulled the truck up outside the hotel at around 8:40 a.m. local time, and it exploded about 15 to 20 seconds later. The explosion killed Livelsberger and injured seven others.

Authorities say the truck contained gasoline and camp fuel containers, as well as large firework mortars. Video of the incident captures the truck exploding in a ball of fire, and fireworks can also be seen going off in all directions. A bystander can also be seen just feet from the truck as it goes up in flames.

An Army spokesperson told Fox News that Livelsberger began active duty in Army in January 2006 and reached the rank of master sergeant. Livelsberger spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to the Army Special Forces Command.

As for all the guests at the hotel, they were taken in by another hotel as the investigation into the explosion continues.

Like McMahill, Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI acting special agent in charge in Las Vegas, would not identify the person inside the vehicle, saying, "Our number one goal is to ensure that we have proper identification of the subject involved in the incident."

The second objective, Schwartz said, was to determine whether the explosion was an act of terrorism, which is being investigated by a joint terrorism task force.
Jan 2, 2025 2:30 pm ET