Man killed in Tesla explosion was active-duty US soldier, officials say

Published :

2/1/2025 20:08|

Last Updated :

2/1/2025 20:23|

The individual who died in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel was an active-duty US Army soldier, according to three US officials speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The man inside the truck, identified as Matthew Livelsberger, was confirmed by two law enforcement officials. Due to the ongoing investigation, the officials requested anonymity. Livelsberger, an active Army member, was stationed at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which houses Army special forces command. These details were shared under the same condition of anonymity.

The FBI posted on X on Thursday that it was conducting a law enforcement operation at a home in Colorado Springs connected to the explosion but did not provide further details.

The explosion, which involved fireworks and fuel canisters in the truck’s bed, occurred hours after a deadly incident in New Orleans. On New Year’s Day, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd in the French Quarter, killing 15 people and injuring others before being shot by police. The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, with authorities suspecting Jabbar may not have acted alone.

Jabbar, a US Army veteran, had also been stationed at Fort Bragg, but there is no indication that his time there overlapped with Livelsberger’s.

Seven people were injured in the Las Vegas explosion, but their injuries were minor.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Wednesday that the explosion was caused by large fireworks or a bomb in the truck’s bed and was unrelated to the vehicle itself. "All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion," Musk wrote.

Authorities know who rented the truck via the Turo app in Colorado, according to Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill.