Police investigate explosion of Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel

Police are investigating the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The explosion resulted in the death of the driver and left seven people with minor injuries, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The truck, rented in Colorado, arrived in Las Vegas on January 1 morning, just hours before the explosion. It was parked in front of the hotel near a glass entrance when it began to smoke and then exploded.

In an evening address, President Joe Biden stated that the White House was monitoring the situation and that law enforcement was looking into "whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans," which killed 15 people on New Year's Day. During an afternoon press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill presented dramatic footage of the explosion and images of the aftermath, which included several fuel canisters and large fireworks found in the truck bed. 

The footage showed the truck parked right in front of the hotel entrance, sitting still for several seconds before exploding, with multi-colored fireworks bursting in all directions. Another video showed investigators using a black fire-retardant tarp to control the blaze and the charred remains of the truck bed. 

The scene revealed a number of gas and fuel canisters alongside the remnants of over a dozen firework mortars. The fire occurred around 08:40 PT (15:40 GMT), just hours after a man drove a truck bearing an Islamic State (IS) flag into a crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens. 

Sheriff McMahill from the Las Vegas Police Department stated that authorities were investigating whether there could be a connection between the two incidents, particularly after improvised explosive devices were discovered near the scene in New Orleans. 

He stated that they were also investigating whether the incident could be connected to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Elon Musk, who owns Tesla. The FBI also confirmed that it was investigating whether the event could be classified as an act of terrorism. 

Thus, 37-year-old Matthew Levelsberger from Colorado Springs was reportedly in the vehicle at the time of the explosion near the hotel. Like Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the New Orleans attack, Levelsberger also served in the US military. His social media profile indicates that he worked as an intelligence manager with experience in special forces units.

By Naila Huseynova