Trump Hotel Suspect Shot Himself Before Activating Explosion

Posted on: January 2, 2025, 07:23h. 

Last updated on: January 2, 2025, 07:23h.

The man in a Tesla parked outside of Las Vegas’ Trump International Hotel shot himself in the head before setting off a massive explosion on New Year’s Day, authorities revealed on Thursday.

The suspect, reportedly identified as Matthew Livelsberger, 37, an active-duty Army soldier who resided in Colorado Springs, Colo., died from injuries suffered in the Cybertruck.

Burned Beyond Recognition

An autopsy performed by the Clark County coroner’s office showed evidence of the gunshot wound. His body was largely unrecognizable due to the flames and explosion.

“He was burned beyond recognition,” Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a Thursday press conference.

Evidence of two tattoos remained on his body, according to McMahill. One was on the man’s stomach and another on an arm. His military ID, passport, credit cards, an iPhone, and a smartwatch were among the items found in the Cybertruck.

Two semi-automatic handguns were found inside the truck, too. Livelsberger legally purchased both guns on December 30, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Fireworks and accelerants were located in the truck as well.

The tattoos, documents, and other items led police to believe on Thursday that Livelsberger was the person who died in the vehicle. Photos taken of him on the journey from Colorado to Las Vegas also confirm his identity.

But DNA tests and medical records will be used for final confirmation.

Relative Confidence in Man’s ID

I still do not have confirmation, 100%, that that is the individual that was inside of our vehicle,” McMahill said about Livelsberger being the person. But the sheriff said he has “a lot of confidence” that the deceased man is Livelsberger.

Police also revealed that Livelsberger rented the Cybertruck in Denver, Colo. on December 28 and were able to trace his route. Alone in the vehicle, he left from Colorado on December 30. He went on a multi-day journey to New Mexico, and later Arizona.

The truck was first spotted in Las Vegas at 7:29 a.m. on Wednesday, police said. At 7:34 a.m., the vehicle was on Fashion Show Drive in Las Vegas. A short time later, he drove into the Trump International Hotel valet area. He then drove onto Las Vegas Boulevard.

Then, at about 8:39 a.m., he returned to the valet area of the Trump Hotel. Seventeen seconds after he arrived at the valet area, the explosion occurred. Beyond Livelsberger’s death, seven people in the area suffered minor injuries, and the explosion led to the evacuation of the hotel.

Spencer Evans, an FBI agent in charge of the agency’s Las Vegas office, said on Thursday that seeking the man’s motivation is the “number one priority.”

Similarities With New Orleans Attack

In addition, there are many similarities between Wednesday’s deadly attacker in New Orleans, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, and Livelsberger.

Livelsberger, like Jabbar, served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. It’s so far unclear when each served at the military base. They also both served in Afghanistan during 2009. No evidence suggests they were in the same province or the same units. It also was revealed that Livelsberger was a Green Berets operations sergeant.

Also, both men used the same rental app, Turo,.to rent their trucks used in the violent incidents. At least 15 people were killed after Jabbar drove into them on Bourbon Street. Dozens of others suffered injuries. Many of these victims were seriously injured.

When speaking to reporters on Thursday in New Orleans, Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, said, “at this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas.” But he added it’s still “very early” in the investigation.

We are following up on all potential leads and not ruling everything out,” Raia said.

In a flipflop from earlier FBI statements, Raia revealed on Thursday that the FBI now says Jabbar apparently acted alone in the deadly New Orleans attack with no accomplices.