Suspect in Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion identified as active-duty soldier from Colorado Springs
What we know about Matthew Livelsberger
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — The suspect involved in a Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel has been identified as an active-duty soldier from Colorado Springs.
In a press conference Thursday, Las Vegas Metro police identified Matthew Livelsberger as the suspect, but noted challenges in identifying his body, which was “burnt beyond recognition.”
“I do still not have 100% confirmation that that is the individual inside of our vehicle,” LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated. “I will not say until I have DNA evidence that this is our suspect.”
Police were able to initially identify Livelsberger from tattoos along his arms and chest. The Clark County Coroner would later confirm his identity, and that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Livelsberger remains the only suspect involved in the explosion, according to police.
A forensic investigation into the Cybertruck that Livelsberger rented from Turo in Denver on Dec. 28 located his military IDs, passport, and several guns. Police tracked the vehicle’s movements through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada, using data from Tesla charging stations.
Once he reached the Strip, surveillance video caught him driving through the valet area of the Trump International Hotel once before the explosion, though he would drive around the Strip for nearly an hour before the incident.
Around 8:40 a.m., Livelsberger pulled into the valet area a second time and shot himself in the head, before the explosives inside the truck detonated, police say. Police also later recovered multiple fireworks and gas canisters from the truck, including some that did not go off.
The explosion would happen only hours after another driver, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police.
After investigating possible connections, authorities clarified Thursday morning that there is no definitive link between the incidents.
“There are a number of things in this case that are similar to the attack in New Orleans...,” Sheriff McMahill stated. “Both subjects served at Fort Bragg... We have no record that they served in the same unit or even the same years.”
Both suspects are also believed to have served in Afghanistan in 2009, though whether they were in the same unit or province is also under investigation, McMahill says.
According to the Department of Defense, Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners. The DoD also shared that he joined the Army in 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo, the Army said.
He was awarded a total of five Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge, and an Army Commendation Medal with valor.
Livelsberger had recently returned from an overseas assignment in Germany and was on approved leave when he died, according to a U.S. official.
A law enforcement official said investigators learned through interviews that he may have gotten into a fight with his wife about relationship issues shortly before he rented the Tesla and bought the guns. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Colorado law enforcement is currently investigating a residence believed to be linked to Livelsberger in the Colorado Springs area. Neighbors said the man who lived there had a wife and a baby and did not give any sign of posing a danger to anyone.
Livelsberger was also a registered voter for the ‘No Labels’ party, according to the El Paso County Clerk’s Office in Colorado. The party’s website said it believes politicians need to listen more to people in the middle of the political aisle, and less to the extremes on the far left and far right.
An FBI spokesperson added that possible motivations for the incident are still under investigation, with help from both domestic and international offices.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call 1(800) CALL FBI or submit anonymously on tips.fbi.gov.
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