An active member of the Army’s elite Special Forces shot himself in the head just before the explosion at the Trump Las Vegas hotel — but the FBI and local cops still do not know why he did it, authorities revealed on Thursday.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, was found inside the vehicle with a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters.
McMahill added that a high-powered .50-caliber Desert Eagle handgun was found at Livelsberger’s.
His body was so badly burned, it was unrecognizable, authorities said.
Matthew Livelsberger was identified as the Cybertruck bomber in Las Vegas. LVMPD
A gun found in the destroyed vehicle. LVMPD
The contents of the Cybertruck after the explosion. LVMPD
Investigators at the scene of the explosion outside the Trump hotel. LVMPD
Matthew Livelsberger was the driver of the Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas.
Matthew Livelsberger’s ID recovered from the explosion. LVMPD
Livelsberger’s passport found inside the truck. LVMPDIt was unclear which weapon Livelsberger allegedly used to kill himself, but police said they found the handgun in the car, along with other semi-automatic weapons that were also charred.
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Despite the damage to the body, police found Livelsberger’s Military ID, passport, phone and smartwatch inside the burnt vehicle.
Police were also able to find two distinct tattoos on the charred remains that match Livelsberger’s known body ink,.
Officials remain on the hunt for a motive, with Spencer Evans, the FBI special agent in charge, vowing that the agency would pursue all the tips coming in on Livelsberger.
A Tesla Cybertruck in flames after exploding outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Jan. 1, 2025. Alcides Antunes via REUTERS
Surveillance cameras captured the moment the Tesla exploded outside the hotel.
Surveillance footage of Livelsberger driving the Cybertruck in Las Vegas. LVMPD
A map of the route taken to Las Vegas before the bombing. LVMPDEvans added that the FBI was looking into the possibility that the attack was politically motivated given that it occurred at a hotel owned by president-elect Donald Trump and with a vehicle from Trump-ally Elon Musk.
“It’s not lost on us that it happened in front of the Trump building and a Tesla vehicle was used,” Evans said.
So far, law enforcement does not believe Livelsberger had any help carrying out the explosion, with surveillance cameras tracking him all alone on his trip from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas.
The charred remains of the Cybertruck after the fire was extinguished by first responders. LVMPD
The truck’s driver, Matthew Livelsberger, was the only person killed in the explosion. LVMPDTesla charging stations pinged Livelsberger traveling south and then west through at least eight other recharging hubs as he headed to Vegas.
He was seen alone at the stations, with no one else ever coming in or out the Cybertruck, which Livelsberger rented on the Turo app by himself, police said.
McMahill said Livelsberger did not seem to have any criminal record on file in Las Vegas, but noted that police are investigating one possible incident involving the suspect that occurred years ago.
