The individual involved in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day has been identified as Army veteran Matthew Livelsberger, 37.
According to law enforcement sources, Livelsberger rented the Tesla Cybertruck through the app Turo.
The vehicle was reportedly packed with fireworks-style mortars, camping fuel, and canisters when it exploded in the valet area of the hotel. Livelsberger was allegedly behind the wheel at the time of the incident.
The explosion occurred just hours after another Army veteran, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, reportedly drove an electric Ford F-150 into a crowd in New Orleans early Wednesday, killing at least 15 people. Officials have confirmed that both vehicles used in these incidents were rented through Turo.
Update: Police release crime scene photos, details from Cybertruck explosion
Livelsberger’s LinkedIn profile indicates a long career in the military. He served as a Special Forces Communications Specialist (18E) from 2006 to 2015, followed by a role as a Special Forces Intelligence and Operations Specialist (18F) from November 2015 to November 2023.
After nearly two years as a Special Forces Operations Manager/Team Sergeant (18Z), he recently transitioned to a new position as a Remote and Autonomous Systems Manager in the Army.
Livelsberger was reportedly residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home to Fort Carson and the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), which specializes in unconventional warfare, counterterrorism, and other elite missions.
His LinkedIn states he was awarded the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award (DSMHA) by a U.S. Ambassador in 2016 “for interagency contributions that resulted in increased interoperability and efficiency while serving as the Operations Sergeant at Special Operations Command Forward- Central Asian States (SOCFWD-CAS) within US Embassy Dushanbe.”
According to the ABC affiliate in Denver, Livelsberger had multiple Colorado Springs addresses linked to him, and FBI agents were observed at one of those locations late Wednesday while awaiting a search warrant.
Curiously, another LinkedIn profile with identical credentials to Livelsberger’s was indexed by Google under the name “Matt Berg” but has since been removed.
The Army has yet to confirm Livelsberger’s service history or any current employment as a contractor.
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