The individual who died when a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel has been identified as Matthew Livelsberger, a highly decorated U.S. Army Green Beret, officials confirmed Thursday.
Livelsberger, 37, served in the Green Berets, a special forces unit highly trained in counterterrorism and international partnerships. He had been in the Army since 2006, with a distinguished career that included two deployments to Afghanistan, as well as assignments in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo. Throughout his service, Livelsberger was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for bravery in combat, a Combat Infantryman Badge, and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. He was on approved leave at the time of his death.
The FBI confirmed Thursday that it was conducting law enforcement activity at a home in Colorado Springs related to the explosion but did not release further details.
The explosion, which involved firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, occurred just hours after a deadly attack in New Orleans. On New Year’s Day, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in the French Quarter, killing at least 15 people before being shot by police. That incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack, and authorities believe Jabbar may have had accomplices.
Livelsberger and Jabbar had both been stationed at the military base formerly known as Fort Bragg, now called Fort Liberty, in North Carolina, which is home to several Army special operations units. However, officials have clarified there was no overlap in their assignments at the base.
The FBI has found no direct link between the two incidents, with Deputy Assistant Director Chris Raia confirming there is no definitive connection between the explosion in Las Vegas and the attack in New Orleans.
Seven people nearby sustained minor injuries when the Tesla truck exploded. Video footage showed charred firework mortars, canisters, and other explosive materials in the truck bed, which remained largely intact as the blast shot upward, instead of outward.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on social media that the explosion was caused by “very large fireworks and/or a bomb” in the truck’s bed, adding that the vehicle itself was not responsible for the explosion. He further stated that all vehicle telemetry at the time of the explosion showed positive data.
Authorities have traced the rental of the truck to a person in Colorado via the Turo app, though the individual’s identity has not been released. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, who oversees Las Vegas, confirmed this information but withheld the renter’s name.
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