ONE person is dead and seven others have been injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel.
The alleged bomber has been named as US army veteran Matthew Livelsberger – here’s all we know about the 37-year-old.
Who was Matthew Livelsberger?
Matthew Livelsberger was allegedly the individual responsible for the terrifying blast outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels on New Year’s Day.
Livelsberger died inside the Tesla when it exploded as seven others sustained injuries from the debris.
Cops are still probing the deadly explosion to see if it was an “act of terror”.
Startling video footage captured the car explosion as it occurred right outside the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel around 9 am on Wednesday, January 1.
Loud blasts can be heard in the short video as black smoke filled the Nevada air.
An ambulance and multiple cop cars rushed to the hotel, located just off the main world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
The 4,990kg vehicle was ripped apart with its metal paneling flying across the street, causing injury to seven civilians.
Was the massacre linked to the attack in New Orleans?
It has been revealed that Livelsberger served at the same base as the New Orleans suspect Shamsud Din Jabbar.
However, investigators are yet to confirm any potential relationship or connections between the two suspects.
President Joe Biden has spoken out on the possibility, however he said federal law enforcement is investigating and tracking the incidents.
Addressing the explosion in Las Vegas, authorities stated, “Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are actively looking into this incident, including a potential connection to the recent attack in New Orleans.”
“Thus far there is nothing to report on that score for this time.”
Another link was later uncovered by the Tesla CEO Elon Musk who claimed the Cybertruck and the Ford pickup had both been rented by the same company.
He posted on his X platform: “Appears likely to be an act of terrorism.
“Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way.”
Las Vegas law enforcement verified that they were examining any potential ties between the two incidents but expressed their belief that the explosion appeared to be a “standalone occurrence.”
What happened in New Orleans?
A pick-up truck accelerated down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, one of America’s most famous party streets, at 3:15am on January 1 and smashed into crowds of revelers.
The driver, dressed in “full military gear”, got out of the car after the truck crashed into a crane and opened fire on people in the street.
He then engaged in a shootout with police where two cops were injured before the suspect was fatally shot.
The FBI is investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism” after an ISIS flag was found strapped to the rented Ford truck and potential homemade bombs were found in the vehicle.
The security service said it did not believe that Jabbar was “solely responsible” for Wednesday’s attack and is looking into “potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations”.
President Biden said the FBI had found videos posted by the suspect hours before the attack where he said he had a “desire to kill” and was “inspired by” the Islamic State.
He gave his condolences to the families of the “despicable” and “heinous act”.
