The man who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day shot himself in the head … just before his vehicle exploded.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Matthew Alan Livelsberger fired the shot, although he did not say he died from the gunshot wound or the explosion.
Livelsberger had a military ID, passport and credit cards with him. He also had distinctive tattoos… which led authorities to discover his identity.
A Desert Eagle .50-caliber semi-automatic pistol was found at Livelsberger's feet, and an SLR B30 semi-automatic firearm was also found inside the truck – along with fireworks, an iPhone and a smartwatch.
The ATF said Livelsberger, an Army Special Forces veteran, legally purchased the weapons on Dec. 30. The fireworks found in the vehicle appeared to be the same type that was available for public purchase.
The sheriff said investigators tracked the Cybertruck's journey from Colorado to Nevada. As we told you, the vehicle was rented through the Turo app – The same app used to rent the truck used in the New Orleans terrorist attack. Authorities have not been able to link the two attacks, but are conducting a thorough investigation to find out.
The truck was rented in Denver on December 28th. Multiple Tesla charging stations show the vehicle stopped in Colorado twice – on December 30 and 31 – and then drove through New Mexico.
The truck was charged at three different locations in Arizona on the day of the attack before showing up in Las Vegas at 7:29 a.m. A surveillance photo shows the truck pulling onto Fashion Show Drive, where the hotel is located, at 7:34 a.m. The truck exploded around 8:40 a.m.