LAS VEGAS — Early Wednesday morning, an explosion occurred outside the Las Vegas hotel of President-elect Donald Trump, resulting in the death of an individual inside a Tesla Cybertruck packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters. This incident has raised serious concerns, leading to an intensive investigation that is exploring possible terrorism motives.
Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and the Clark County Fire Department confirmed that the explosion resulted in the fatality within the truck, while seven nearby individuals sustained minor injuries. By the afternoon, law enforcement was still in the process of removing the body from the vehicle and collecting evidence. President Joe Biden has been informed about the situation.
“Our top priority is accurately identifying the individual involved in this case,” stated Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office. “The next step is to ascertain whether this incident qualifies as a terrorist act.”
Sheriff Kevin McMahill confirmed that investigators have identified the person who rented the Cybertruck from the Turo app in Colorado but are withholding the name until it can be confirmed if it is indeed the same individual as the one who perished. Surveillance footage from Tesla charging stations, made available by CEO Elon Musk, showed the vehicle arriving in Las Vegas at approximately 7:30 AM, before proceeding to the valet area of the Trump International Hotel about an hour later. The truck was stationary for around 15 to 20 seconds prior to the explosion.
During a news conference later in the day, authorities displayed video footage showing charred fireworks mortars, canisters, and additional explosive devices crammed into the back of the pickup truck. The walls of the truck bed were left intact due to the explosion being directed straight up rather than outward.
In a statement on social media platform X, Musk confirmed that the incident was caused by large fireworks or a bomb located in the rented Cybertruck’s bed and clarified that it was not related to any malfunction within the vehicle itself. He also indicated that the telemetry data from the vehicle was normal at the time of the explosion, and his senior team is actively looking into the incident.
Recently, Musk has become aligned with Trump, though neither figure was in Las Vegas at the time of the event. Both attended a New Year’s Eve celebration at Trump’s estate in South Florida. Musk has reportedly expended around $250 million supporting Trump’s presidential campaign and has been a notable guest at Trump’s resort. Trump has also appointed Musk to help lead efforts geared towards reducing the size and expenditure of the government.
When questioned about potential political implications, Sheriff McMahill remarked, “This is a Tesla truck, and with Musk’s involvement with President-elect Trump, there are certainly valid concerns. We are actively examining this angle.”
The truck explosion came closely after a separate incident in which a driver targeted pedestrians in New Orleans’ French Quarter, resulting in at least 15 fatalities before being killed by police. Authorities are investigating that collision as an act of terrorism and suspect that the driver may not have acted alone.
“We are looking into any connections between these incidents, including the tragic event in New Orleans and additional attacks worldwide,” McMahill stated. “We are keeping all options on the table.”
In response to the Las Vegas incident, Turo announced its cooperation with law enforcement, asserting, “We do not believe either renter related to the attacks in Las Vegas or New Orleans had any prior criminal history that would classify them as a security concern.”
Witness Ana Bruce, a tourist from Brazil, recounted the explosions, saying, “I heard three explosions. The first caused visible flames, the second was probably the battery, and the last was the significant one that created a smoke cloud and prompted everyone to evacuate.” Her companion, Alcides Antunes, captured footage of the flames engulfing the metallic vehicle.
The Trump International Hotel stands 64 stories tall, located just off the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Fashion Show mall. In a post on the social media platform X, Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, expressed gratitude towards the local fire department and law enforcement for their prompt response and professionalism.
