The man identified in the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump and was likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the FBI.
Matthew Livelsberger, an active duty member of the U.S. Army from Colorado who was found dead in the vehicle, was also struggling with other family or personal issues, FBI officials said.
Officials also stressed that a deadly truck attack in New Orleans that left 14 dead earlier on New Year’s Day was unrelated to the Las Vegas blast.
Police said the explosion in Las Vegas appeared to be a “tragic case of suicide”.
“There is no evidence that these two events are connected,” Las Vegas FBI agent Spencer Evans told reporters Friday as officials released new information about the incident.
“Investigative steps revealed, and military information indicates, that he likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his life that may have contributed,” Mr. Evans said.
Information recovered from Mr. Livelsberger’s phone, including a series of notes he appeared to have written, suggested the 37-year-old suffered from PTSD related to his time in combat, officials said.
His body was found inside a charred Tesla, which had exploded from fireworks Mr Livelsberger had bought on his way to Las Vegas from Colorado.
Mr. Livelsberger’s identity was confirmed by a DNA sample obtained by the authorities from a family member.
Police said he also appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In digital notes found by police, Livelsberger also mentioned political grievances, urging his fellow officers to criticize the military leadership.
In another note, police said he specifically wrote that the incident was “not a terrorist attack” but a “wake-up call.”
Mr. Livelsberger was a decorated special forces intelligence sergeant serving in Germany but was on authorized leave at the time of the explosion.
His father told the BBC’s American partner CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.
He said the last time he spoke to his son was at Christmas and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Ex-girlfriend Mr. Livelsberger he told the Washington Post that he once told her he had suffered a traumatic brain injury during his overseas service. Alicia Arritt, a 39-year-old nurse who dated Mr Livelsberger on and off from 2018 to 2021, said he admitted to struggling with memory, concentration and intense guilt over his actions on the battlefield.
The Daily Beast reported that Mr. Livelsberger was a big Trump supporter. A senior law enforcement official who spoke to Mr. Livelsberger’s family told the newspaper that he had voted for Trump in the November election.
Police were able to track his movements in the days leading up to the incident thanks to surveillance cameras and other data obtained from the Tesla vehicle itself.
They said that Mr. Livelsberger rented a Tesla Cybertruck through a mobile app called Turo in Colorado on Dec. 28 and drove it more than 800 miles to Las Vegas. He also legally purchased two firearms during that period, which were found in the car.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said authorities had not determined why Mr. Livelsberger chose the spot outside the Trump Hotel as the site of the explosion, but added that evidence suggested it was one of several locations he considered.
Seven people were slightly injured by the explosion. All have since been released from the hospital, Sheriff McMahill said.
He added that the investigation is ongoing and that the police are “barely scratching the surface” of the data they extracted from the man’s devices.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line. Help and support outside the UK can be found at Befrienders Worldwide or you can call the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988.
