BREAKING: Matthew Livelsberger shot himself before Cybertruck detonation: police

The driver of a Cybertruck that was detonated on Tuesday in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Matthew Livelsberger, reportedly shot and killed himself in the vehicle. Livelsberger, an active duty Green Beret, special operations soldier on leave at the time of the explosion, was unable to be removed from the vehicle by rescue teams due to how badly his body was burned.

He was identified by a passport. A semi-automatic pistol, as well as additional firearms and fireworks, were found. He also had an iPhone and smart watch. He had legally purchased the firearms, police said, on December 30, 2024. Elon Musk is reportedly sending a team to investigate the truck.

Police made the announcement on Thursday. The gunshot wound was delivered "prior to the detonation of the vehicle," officers said. That handgun was found on the floor at his feet.

Livelsberger, from Colorado Springs, Colo., rented the Cybertruck before using it to detonate outside the Las Vegas hotel. Seven others were injured in the blast. He had rented the truck via the carsharing Turo app. He had served in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Green Berets and saw combat.

"Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger enlisted as an 18X and served in the active duty Army from January 2006 to March 2011. Livelsberger then joined the National Guard from March 2011 to July 2012, followed by the Army Reserve from July 2012 to December 2012. He entered the active duty Army in December 2012 and was a U.S. Army Special Operations Soldier," said a spokesperson from the US Armed Forces.

At the time of the incident, Livelsberger was on leave from the Army and had been stationed in Germany. 

Livelsberger's attack came on the same day as a terror attack was carried out in New Orleans by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, though authorities have said that there's no connection between the two. Initial reports had indicated that the explosion was due to some flaw in the truck itself, though this was quickly disproven by the team at Tesla, makers of Cybertrucks. In fact, the durability of the Cybertruck is to credit for the lack of further destruction, injuries or fatalities.