The Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday was rented in Colorado, authorities said.
The Cybertruck detonated at the hotel at about 8:40 a.m. The person who was driving it died immediately and seven others standing nearby were injured, but not seriously, the sheriff’s office in Las Vegas told reporters Wednesday.
The truck was rented through the Turo online app in Colorado and was driven to Las Vegas.
Police didn't specify where in Colorado it started, but they tracked the truck, made by Elon Musk’s electric automobile company, via surveillance cameras at charging stations between Colorado and Nevada.
“Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel, there’s lots of questions that we have to answer,” Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference streamed on YouTube.
The U.S. Army on Thursday acknowledged the speculation around a former service member named by multiple media sources as the driver of the truck. He was Matthew "Matt" Livelsberger. CPR News confirmed that a 37-year-old man with that name has two addresses in Colorado Springs.
“Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger enlisted as an (18 year old) and served in the active duty Army from January 2006 to March 2011. Livelsberger then joined the National Guard from March 2011 to July 2012, followed by the Army Reserve from July 2012 to December 2012. He entered the active duty Army in December 2012 and was a U.S. Army Special Operations Soldier," the statement said.
"Additionally, U.S. Army Special Operations Command can confirm Livelsberger was assigned to the command and on approved leave at the time of his death. USASOC is in full cooperation with federal and state law enforcement agencies, but as a matter of policy, will not comment on ongoing investigations.”
Denver's FBI office acknowledged Thursday morning they and other agencies had served a search warrant on a Colorado Springs residence to look for evidence in the explosion.
"FBI Denver; the Denver Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Colorado Springs Police Department are conducting law enforcement activity at a residential address in Colorado Springs.," the agency said. "FBI Denver personnel and specialized teams will be on-site for several hours. This activity is related to the explosion in Las Vegas on Wednesday; due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information will be provided out of Denver."
There was no law enforcement presence at either address for Livelsberger early Thursday.
At the Wednesday press conference, the Las Vegas sheriff showed video of the detonation outside the hotel and what the bombed-out car looked like afterwards — including the canisters and explosives that were in the trunk.
The automobile rented for the attack in New Orleans, where at least 15 people died on Bourbon Street after being rammed by the vehicle, was also rented through Turo. Authorities have not said whether that incident is related to what happened in Las Vegas.
McMahill said they tracked the truck coming into Nevada and Las Vegas specifically using license plate readers.
A statement from Turo expressed condolences to the victims and said the company was cooperating with investigations in both New Orleans and Las Vegas.
"We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents," te statement read. "We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat."
The suspect’s name has not been confirmed. McMahill said the Cybertruck’s structure made it explode more up than out, which probably saved lives.
“Technology has been very useful to us,” he said.
The FBI Denver office issued a statement encouraging people to report information if they have it.
“While we don’t have information indicating a local threat associated with this morning’s incident in New Orleans, FBI Denver is working closely with our law enforcement partners to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge in our communities,” the statement said.
To report a tip, go to tips.fbi.gov.
CPR's Molly Cruse and Steph Rivera contributed to this report.
