Las Vegas Police Identify Driver From Tesla Cybertruck Explosion As Green Beret
Authorities have identified Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado Springs, CO, as the deceased driver and suspect of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on Wednesday. The Clark County Coroner’s Office has…
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 02: An image of Matthew Alan Livelsberger driver’s license photo is displayed on a monitor as Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks about the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year’s Day in front of the entrance to the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas during a news conference at LVMPD headquarters on January 02, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. McMahill said that authorities believe the person of interest in the incident is Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active member of the U.S. military, but are waiting for the coroner to make the final determination. McMahill also said the driver suffered a gunshot wound to the head that is believed to have been self-inflicted.
Ethan Miller via Getty ImagesAuthorities have identified Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado Springs, CO, as the deceased driver and suspect of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on Wednesday.
The Clark County Coroner's Office has identified the cause of death as an intraoral gunshot wound, and the manner of death is suicide, authorities said.
Security footage shows a Tesla Cybertruck pulling up to the Trump International Hotel and exploding a few seconds later.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press conference the deceased person was "burnt beyond recognition." McMahill said they found credit cards, a passport and an ID in the Cybertruck with Livelsberger's name.
". . .We know we have a bombing absolutely, and it's a bombing that certainly has factors that raise concerns. It's not lost on us that it's in front of the Trump building that it's a Tesla vehicle," Spencer Evans, special agent in charge from the FBI, said during the press conference. "But we don't have information at this point that definitively tells us or suggests it was because of this particular ideology or any of the reasoning behind it. . ."
McMahill said the New Orleans incident suspect, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, and Livelsberger both served at Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg), North Carolina and in Afghanistan. However, no record shows they were in the same province or unit. But authorities are still investigating this.
Further, both of the alleged suspects used the vehicle-renting app Turo to rent the cars, according to the press conference from police.
Ethan Miller via Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 01: First responders wearing Hazmat gear investigate a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the entrance to the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas on January 01, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A person who was in the vehicle died and seven people were injured. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack and are looking for a possible connection to a deadly crash in New Orleans.
More About Alleged Suspect Matthew Livelsberger
37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger is a Green Beret operation sergeant who spent much of his time in Fort Carson, Colorado and Germany. He was on approved leave from Germany where he was serving with the 10th special forces group, McMahill said during a press conference.
According to The Independent, Livelsberger divorced his first wife. He did have a newborn with his new partner, and family members said he, '"was a 100 percent patriot,' who loved the Army and was an ardent supporter of President-elect Donald Trump."
Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion's Timeline
The truck arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. and drove around Las Vegas Boulevard for an hour. Authorities received reports of the explosion around 8:30 a.m.
McMahill said the suspect rented the Cybertruck in Denver, and authorities tracked his movements through: Monument, CO; Trinidad, CO; Las Vegas, NM, Albuquerque, NM; Gallup, NM; Holbrook, AZ; Flagstaff, AZ; Kingman, AZ; and then he reached Las Vegas, NV.
Once the Cybertruck pulled into the Trump valet area, the explosion occurred 17 seconds after his arrival, McMahill reports.
Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent at ATF San Francisco, said it's too early to determine how the device was initiated.
"We do know that the components primarily consist of fireworks, mortals, aerial shells, and are all consumer fireworks. Nothing commercial grades has been discovered at this point, and we have identified some fuel enhancers. . . "
Cooper also said that the level of sophistication is not what they would expect from a person with Livelsberger's military experience.
Authorities are encouraging the public to come forward if they have any information. This is an ongoing joint investigation between the LVMPD and federal partners.
