On January 1, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, the wreckage of the Tesla Cybertruck that burned at the entrance to Trump Tower was being inspected.
Rhonda Churchill | Reuters
The person who rents the house Exploding Tesla Cybertruck Authorities on Thursday began searching a Colorado home in connection with the case, and marks were identified outside the entrance to the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News the truck was leased to Matthew Alan Livelsberger, but it was unclear who was inside when it caught fire outside the Trump International Hotel early Wednesday. The identities of the victims and who caused the crash are unclear.
FBI agents began searching a Colorado Springs home and are expected to remain at the scene for several hours, the FBI said in a statement.
FBI says “this activity is related to the Las Vegas explosion” say on Xdeclined to provide further details.
Three senior law enforcement officials said the incident was being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
A motive has not yet been determined, but the explosion occurred just hours after the driver of a rental pickup truck flying an ISIS flag was rammed into his vehicle. New Year’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Street In New Orleans, he killed at least 15 people and injured more than 30 before being shot dead by police.
Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Kevin McMahill told reporters Wednesday that the pickup truck and Tesla involved in the Las Vegas bombing were leased from the same company, Turo.
“I don’t know,” McMahill said when asked if the two incidents were related. “But we are investigating if there is any connection.”
McMahill declined to name the person who rented the car, but told reporters they found no direct links to ISIS or any other terrorist group.
Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Schwartz said the incident appeared to be isolated.
Turo said in a statement that it was assisting investigators.
“We do not believe any of the tenants involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks have a criminal background and do not view them as a security threat,” the statement read.
Police said the explosion occurred at around 8:40 a.m. local time. Seven bystanders were also injured, but their injuries were minor.
A woman with her dog lies at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded at the entrance to the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas on January 1, 2025. The image was taken next to a vehicle blocking a road near the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas.
Ethan Miller | Getty Images
In videos circulating on the Internet, sirens can be heard in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel, and vehicles outside are engulfed in flames. One person on social media said they were near the front door when the vehicle exploded and they were forced to leave their luggage by the door.
Other posts showed smoke filling the air around the building as first responders rushed to the scene.
McMahill said Tesla CEO Musk helped track the vehicle’s route and provided video showing the Cybertruck at a Tesla charging station.
Musk is also a member of Trump’s inner circle. say on X The vehicle itself did not cause the explosion.
“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 had nothing to do with the vehicle itself,” Musk wrote. “All vehicle telemetry results at the time of the explosion were is positive.”
Eric Trump, son of President-elect Donald Trump, thanked local law enforcement for their “quick response.”
“The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains our top priority,” Eric Trump said in a statement.
