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A U.S. Army spokesperson mentioned that the soldier who drove a Tesla Cybertruck into the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s Day did not exhibit any alarming behavior when he was approved for personal leave from his duties in Germany.
“Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger utilized the POTFF [Preservation of the Force and Family] program and had been granted personal leave without displaying any concerning behaviors at the time,” stated Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike, the Chief of Public Affairs, in a communication to Fox News. “All pertinent information has been shared with the FBI, who is leading the investigation.”
The newest information that the 37-year-old Army Green Beret did not display “concerning behavior” came after the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) revealed that Livelsberger likely suffered from PTSD.
“Quite frankly, this is the reason why we started our wellness bureau here at Metro and taking care of the heart, mind, body and soul of the people that are out there doing this work, because they’re exposed to things, they see things, they hear things, they feel things and they smell things that most normal people don’t have to do,” McMahill said.
“And the heroes that are serving in the military and on the front lines of America’s policing are challenged that way,” he said. “And, so, I think we need to really pay attention to those individuals, pay attention to what mental health in America looks like.”
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s Day has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Alan Livelsberger (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Police officials on Friday also released sections of Livelsberger’s “manifesto.”
“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake-up call” Livelsberger wrote, according to the cropped notes shared by Las Vegas police. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?
“Why did I personally do it now? I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took,” he wrote.
“We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse.”
The Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
LVMPD Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said Livelsberger died from a self-inflicted gunshot. He noted that the suspect placed a gun in his mouth and discharged it.
“We know also, as mentioned by the sheriff yesterday, there was a self-inflicted gunshot wound by the suspect,” Koren said. “The coroner was very specific in saying it was an intro orbital gunshot wound, which essentially means that the suspect put the firearm in his mouth and discharged the gun. And, ultimately, the wound came out the left side of his head.”
