Las Vegas suspect suffered gunshot wound to head prior to explosion, police say
Las Vegas police said Thursday that the suspect who died inside a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday had sustained a gunshot wound to the head prior to the explosion that destroyed the vehicle and injured seven people.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill released more information about the explosion in a press conference, saying that inside the Cybertruck authorities found fuel, fireworks, two semi-automatic firearms and identification that belonged to 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger of Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Now, further complicating this identification of this individual, we also discovered through the coroner’s office that the individual had sustained a gunshot wound through the head prior to the detonation of the vehicle,” McMahill said.
One of the two guns, both of which were registered in Livelsberger's name, was found near the driver’s feet in the Cybertruck.
McMahill said the individual was “burnt beyond recognition," it is believed to be Livelsberger, though DNA testing is not yet done.
Kenny Cooper — the assistant special agent leading the San Francisco Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — said it’s too early to tell if the materials inside the Cybertruck were intended to ignite a larger explosion.
“The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience,” Cooper said. “Most of the materials inside that Tesla were fuel to … help fuel a greater explosion.”
An Army spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that Livelsberger was a master sergeant who served active duty in the Army from January 2006 to March 2011. He then joined the National Guard, followed by the Army Reserve.
Police tracked the rented Cybertruck’s movements through Tesla charging stations across Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
The investigation is ongoing, and no motive is currently known.
The explosion raised concerns of political violence and a potential connection to the terror attack in New Orleans that occurred just hours earlier.
A man, identified as Texas-resident Shamsud-Din Jabbar, rammed a pickup truck down Bourbon Street, killing 15 and injuring many more. His truck and the surrounding area had explosives, and he was carrying an ISIS flag.
Las Vegas police confirmed that both men were affiliated with the Army, having been stationed at Fort Bragg, now known as Fort Liberty, and having been deployed to Afghanistan. They both used the rental company Turo.
Police have emphasized that it's not known if the two incidents were related or if the men were affiliated with one another.