Fire vehicles surround the valet area where a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire at a prominent hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 1.
Authorities have identified the driver of the Cybertruck that exploded outside a Las Vegas hotel as 37-year-old Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger. In a Thursday afternoon briefing, police stated they still lack full confirmation due to the condition of the body, which was “burned beyond recognition” in the January 1 incident. DNA tests are pending to confirm his identity.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted Livelsberger suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the vehicle ignited, with investigators suspecting it may have been self-inflicted.
Authorities discovered several items in the vehicle, including multiple firearms, fireworks, a military ID, an iPhone, and various credit cards. The FBI and local law enforcement officials are actively investigating the motive behind the incident.
Livelsberger was an active-duty Special Operations soldier in the U.S. Army. Officials highlighted notable similarities with a separate incident involving 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove a pickup truck onto a New Orleans sidewalk, killing at least 15 people on New Year’s Day. Both men had served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, although there is no evidence they were in the same unit. Investigators are exploring potential connections between the two cases.
Livelsberger served in the active-duty Army from January 2006 to March 2011, transitioned to the National Guard from March 2011 to July 2012, and then joined the Army Reserve until December 2012.
The U.S. Army Special Operations Command confirmed that Livelsberger was on approved leave at the time of his death.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas police reported the discovery of gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars in the Cybertruck’s back. The explosion, which was recorded, resulted in injuries to seven individuals.
Police confirmed that the Cybertruck was rented in Colorado and tracked its journey via Tesla charging stations. The vehicle arrived in Las Vegas roughly an hour before the explosion. Authorities are emphasizing that the incident is being treated as “isolated.”
Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI in Las Vegas, stated that the agency is collaborating closely with local law enforcement to investigate the explosion’s circumstances. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in determining whether the explosion could be classified as an act of terrorism.
According to a source familiar with Livelsberger’s background, he completed five combat deployments to Afghanistan but had not been deployed in the last year.
Livelsberger received a Bronze Star for valor, an Army commendation for valor, as well as a combat infantry badge during his service.
