The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel on New Year’s Day has been identified as Matthew Livelsberger, according to a local media report, Report informs via The Independent.
Multiple informed sources told ABC affiliate Denver 7 and KOAA News that Livelsberged, 37, a former Army veteran of Colorado Springs, was behind the wheel of the vehicle which exploded outside the Trump Invternational Hotel at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sammy Davis Jr. Drive at 8.40 a.m. (GMT -8) on Wednesday.
Livelsberger allegedly died in the blast, according to the sources. Police are yet to officially confirm the identity of the deceased individual.
Seven indivduals sustained injuries, Las Vegas County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a news conference on Wednesday. Two of the casualties were transported to University Medical Center Southern Nevada for treatment. All injuries are minor, the sheriff said.
The suspect is believed to have rented the Tesla Cybertuck in Colorado via the carsharing company, Turo.
Sources told the outlet that multiple addresses had been associated with the alleged suspect, with the FBI awaiting a search warrant for one residence on Marksheffel road late on Wednesday. The Burea of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Exploves have been brought in to assist, according to reports.
Authorities continue to investigate the explosion as a possible act of terror, an official with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told ABC News, but a potential motive is not yet known.
“At this time, we are investigating a number of leads, and I’m not prepared to release any of that information to you just yet. I can tell you that there are seven victims right now that sustained injuries from the explosion,” McMahill said.
The fire has since been extinguished by the Clark County fire department.
The cause wasn’t immediately known, but McMahill noted during the press conference that officials are “very well aware” of the New Orleans attack in which a man intentionally drove a truck into a crowd of people celebrating New Year’s Eve just hours earlier, killing at least 15 people.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the opportunity to praise Tesla’s Cybertruck for being so sturdy that he said it helped contain the blast.