Last Updated on January 2, 2025
The Cyber Truck explosion at Trump Tower in Las Vegas “is consistent with explosives used in fireworks, gun powder, and explosives such as ammonium nitrate based charges,” according to an Army Special Forces veteran and Ranger.
Trump Hotel Video Blast Analysis
Qualification:
A retired Special Forces Engineer Sergeant (Green Beret) with training in the construction and disarmament of standard and improvised explosive devices, bringing valuable real-world experience.
Analysis:
“Ayackle,” who captured the lobby video, says… pic.twitter.com/3f81p9SCyD
— Matt Tardio (@angertab) January 1, 2025
Authorities, along with the entire Tesla team, are looking into an incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck exploding near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas early on Wednesday, potentially as an act of terrorism.
Surveillance footage shows the Tesla electric truck parked in the hotel’s valet area suddenly catching fire at the entrance, leading to smoke emanating from the vehicle.
The fire was reported in front of the highrise Trump International Hotel at approximately 8:40 am, killing one person, the driver of the vehicle and inflicting minor injuries on another seven people, according to local police and fire officials.
WATCH:
This is what an IED looks like. This is not Iran, it’s Las Vegas, right outside President elect, Trump’s tower pic.twitter.com/JpCrc5Smp2
— Bruce Ballou 🇺🇸 (@VetBruce) January 1, 2025
At least seven bystanders were reportedly injured in the explosion.
Police confirmed the truck contained “fireworks-style mortars” but have not concluded whether they were set off deliberately.
WATCH:
UPDATE: Tesla Cybertruck explodes at the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas!
“It is impossible because of the car.”
إنفجرت سيارة تسلا سايبرترك عند مدخل فندق ترامب الدولي في لاس فيغاس!
“هذا مستحيل بسبب السيارة”. pic.twitter.com/aE4dCBZ19C
— Mohammad Javid (@PhyuLay60937915) January 1, 2025
Officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the driver in the Cybertruck.
Telsa CEO Elon Musk assured Wednesday, “The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now.”
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” the incoming leader of the Department of Government Efficiency wrote on X. “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.
All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
“Law enforcement currently believes it was most likely intentional,” Musk continued. “Tesla vehicles transmit their state of health continuously.
BREAKING: The Cybertruck explosion at Trump Tower in Las Vegas was “intentional” according to law enforcement and is being investigated as a “potential act of terrorism”
Elon Musk has also confirmed the explosions were caused by large fireworks or bombs, not the vehicle itself pic.twitter.com/v1EzP6gBcL
— America (@america) January 1, 2025
The suspected terror attack at Trump International Hotel came just less than 12 hours after a US military veteran, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, rammed a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of people ringing in the New Year on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street, killing at least 10 and injuring 35.
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was dressed in military gear and waving an ISIS flag while plowing through the crowd and was fatally shot by police after the attack. The FBI said they also found weapons and an IED in his vehicle.
The FBI is investigating the New Orleans attack as an act of terrorism. The bureau issued a public ahead of the attack warning that ISIS was encouraging its followers to carry out terrorist attacks during holiday gatherings.
While investigators have not linked the New Orleans attack to the explosion in Las Vegas, they determined the Tesla truck was rented through the Turo app which the New Orleans assailant used to rent the pickup truck, the New York Post reports.
