A Tesla Cybertruck filled with fireworks exploded and burst into flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 2. The driver of the car had been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, an active US Army Special Forces soldier. The incident killed the driver and seven others sustained minor injuries right in front of the hotel’s main entrance.
Authorities announced on Jan. 2 that Livelsberger had shot himself moments before the explosion and that the design of the Cybertruck was able to absorb much of the blast’s force, minimizing impact. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the creator of the truck, stated that the explosion was likely caused by fireworks or bombs carried inside the car, not due to any compartments inside the vehicle itself.
“ I first thought it might be someone conspiring against Elon Musk as it was a Tesla that was used for the Trump attack,” David Yeo (9), politics enthusiast, said. “Maybe it was someone who does not like Trump. But when I learned more about the incident, it turned out that the person who blew up the car was actually an avid Trump supporter. It’s just making me think what really led to this attack and what the man’s true motivation was.”
Livelsberger was a highly decorated “Green Beret,” or Special Forces Officer, awarded five Bronze Stars, even one with an Army Commendation Medal with valor. He had been in the army since 2006 and had even been deployed twice to Afghanistan and served in Ukraine, Tajikistan, and more. Although authorities are still probing his exact motive, it had been revealed that Livelsberger had left a note stating that this stunt was a “wakeup call” for the country, and that he was struggling with PTSD. Items found inside the cybertruck included firearms, fireworks, and his personal identification.
The incident shared similarities with a terrorist attack in New Orleans a day prior, where a US Army veteran crashed a truck into a crowd, killing 14 people. It was revealed that the driver had an ISIS flag inside the rental pickup truck, prompting the FBI to further investigate whether the two accidents were related.
“You look at what the payload was, how it was designed, what that explosion looked like, and I believe he was really trying to bring attention to a political message rather than trying to hurt anybody in the process,” James Dillhoff, Government and Politics teacher, said. “It’s interesting to me. I think it speaks to the disillusionment of a lot of American people now about the US political system and where we’re going in the future.”
