One person was killed and seven others were injured when a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames just outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).
Investigators have named Matthew Alan Reiblesberger, 37, an active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret from Colorado Springs, as the prime suspect. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill revealed new details during a media briefing Thursday, saying Lieselberger's military ID, credit cards and passport were found in the Cybertruck. Libersberger was also identified as the person who rented the Cybertruck, and videos from various Tesla Supercharger stations between Colorado and Las Vegas identify him as the driver.
McMahill would not definitively name Leiblesberger as the person killed, saying he would wait for DNA testing to confirm his identity. The sheriff said the person died from a self-inflicted gunshot shortly before the explosion. The pistol was registered to Libersberger.
Screenshot: Las Vegas Police Department. Images shared during the press conference
A witness shot a video of the fire from inside the hotel lobby and posted it to X, saying the car stopped outside and then “exploded.” The video and other users who liked it quickly went viral on X.
McMahill said law enforcement continues to investigate numerous leads. Gov. Joe Lombardo said his office is coordinating with LVMPD and partner agencies.
At both media conferences, McMahill referenced Wednesday morning's attack in New Orleans that left at least 15 people dead. He did not make any implicit connection to the attack, but said law enforcement was taking precautions.
“We're very aware of what happened in New Orleans, the number of victims, the additional IEDs,” he said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “As you can imagine, an explosion occurred here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, and we are taking every necessary precaution to keep our community safe.”
At a news conference late Wednesday afternoon, McMahill said the Cybertruck was rented in Colorado through peer-to-peer rental company Turo and driven to Las Vegas, arriving around 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
McMahill also pointed out that the Ford truck used in the New Orleans attack was rented through Touro. He called it a “coincidence” and said it was under investigation. Founded in 2010 and compared to the Airbnb of cars, Turo allows car owners to rent their vehicles through the company's website and app. The company had filed for an IPO in 2022 and was expected to go public this year.
A Turo spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement that the company is cooperating with law enforcement.
“We are saddened by the acts of violence that occurred in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and their families. We are actively cooperating with law enforcement investigating both incidents. ” said the emailed statement. “We do not believe that either of the tenants involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal history that would warrant them being considered a security threat. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of risk management thanks to our world-class trust and safety technology and team.”
McMahill said law enforcement is looking for assistive devices, adding there appears to be no further threat to the Las Vegas community. “It's clear that if the situation changes, you will be contacting me directly to provide updates,” he said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted several notes about X, initially saying that “Tesla's entire senior team is investigating this incident.” “I'll post more information as soon as I know anything. I've never seen anything like this before,” Musk wrote.
Musk later posted that the vehicle was operating normally, according to telemetry data viewed by the Tesla team.
“We have confirmed that this explosion was caused by a very large firework or bomb that was loaded onto the back of the rented Cybertruck, and was unrelated to the vehicle itself. At the time of the explosion, All measurements were positive,” he wrote.
McMahill personally thanked Musk for providing law enforcement with specific information about the Cybertruck's operation and video from the Tesla charging station the individual was using.
The incident comes as Musk, who is also the owner of X, maintains a close relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. A review of Musk's flight data revealed at least 31 flights to and from Trump's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. This week, the NYT reported that Musk was staying in a cottage on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago.
This article has been updated with new information, including the explosion that killed one person and injured several others, the contents found inside the vehicle, and images.