During a press conference on Tuesday, Las Vegas law enforcement officials provided an update on their investigation into a Cybertruck explosion on New Year’s Day outside the Trump International Hotel.
Authorities alleged that U.S. Army Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger asked ChatGPT a series of questions about acquiring and using explosive materials. They claim these queries were made on Dec. 27, one day before he rented the Cybertruck in Denver and began his journey to Las Vegas, suggesting he planned the attack the day before.
According to officials, Livelsberger wrote in his electronic journal the day before arriving in Las Vegas that he was heading to the Grand Canyon. “I am going to make this as public as possible,” he wrote in an excerpt released by police. “I’m headed for the canyon.” However, Metro Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren noted a change in plans, with Livelsberger showing up in Las Vegas instead. Authorities have not determined why he altered his course.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the Cybertruck contained at least 70 pounds of birdshot and 60 pounds of explosive material, including camp fuel and consumer fireworks. Officials believe the explosion was triggered when the muzzle flash of Livelsberger’s .50 caliber Desert Eagle pistol ignited fuel fumes inside the vehicle.
“Other possibilities cannot be ruled out and could include something as simple as the suspect lighting a flame source just prior to pulling the trigger,” said Kenny Cooper, the assistant special agent in charge of the ATF’s San Francisco field division. He further clarified that the event was a fuel/air explosion, not a detonation.
Authorities believe he fatally shot himself in the head just moments before his rented Cybertruck exploded.
Authorities released images and video during the briefing, showing Livelsberger allegedly pouring racing fuel onto fireworks in the Cybertruck’s bed before driving to the Trump International Hotel.
In one image, a gray sedan is seen four cars away from the Cybertruck exiting the parking lot as Livelsberger allegedly prepared for the explosion.
The FBI has not confirmed whether they have located or spoken to the driver of the gray sedan, who may have been the last person to observe Livelsberger’s movements before the explosion.
Another image captures a vehicle resembling the gray sedan from the parking lot, positioned at the intersection of Vegas Boulevard as the Cybertruck made its turn onto the boulevard.
Additional video evidence allegedly shows Livelsberger’s hands on the Cybertruck’s wheel as it approached the Trump International Hotel, which authorities assert confirms the vehicle was operating in self-driving mode rather than being remotely controlled.
Critics have raised concerns about the released video footage, noting the following:
- Why are the videos screenshots of screenshots, degrading the ability to analyze them?
- Why are the videos so short?
- Why are so many views cropped closely?
- Why isn’t he slumped over from the gunshot to his head?
- Isn’t it odd that the timing and location precluded citizen video, and lighting was also murky?
Authorities also displayed images of three .50 caliber casings found in the Cybertruck. Two casings had burned-out primers, evidence of being exposed to the resulting fire, while one casing showed a struck primer, indicating it had been fired by Livelsberger’s Desert Eagle.
Additionally, authorities claim Livelsberger used ChatGPT to search for information about firearms and explosions, specifically asking, “Will a .50 caliber Desert Eagle set it off?”
Following the announcement of Livelsberger as a suspect, his uncle, Dean Livelsberger, expressed skepticism about the allegations. Dean recalled calling Matthew when he first heard about the explosion, initially suspecting a lithium battery short-circuit might be the cause. When he learned that Matthew had been in the vehicle and that the explosion involved improvised materials, Dean questioned the narrative.
“Matt was a very skilled warrior. If he was responsible — and that’s still an ‘if’ — he would have been capable of creating something far more sophisticated than using propane tanks and camping fuel,” Dean said. “He was what you might call a ‘supersoldier.’ If you look at the awards he received and his military experience, it doesn’t quite add up. He had the skills to make something much more efficient.”
Dean added that if Matthew had intended to create a bomb with significant destructive power, he could have done so. “Think of Oklahoma City,” he said, referring to Timothy McVeigh. “McVeigh was just a normal soldier, not a Tier 1 operator like Matt.”
Some critics argue the video of the explosion clearly shows something in the driver’s compartment ignited or detonated first but the ATF maintains the explosion was caused by the fuel fumes from the bed of the Cybertuck.
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