Jihadist Shamsuddin Jabbar is accused of driving a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 victims.
Just hours later, a person driving a rented Cybertruck loaded with fuel tanks and incendiary devices pulled up to a valet area outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The Cybertruck exploded just outside the hotel's front door, but due to the vehicle's design, only the driver was killed in the explosion.
Authorities are currently investigating whether the Las Vegas incident was a terrorist attack, and have identified at least one apparent similarity to the New Year's Day attack, beyond the timing and the nature of the vehicle.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill shown At a press conference Wednesday, the Cybertruck said it arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and then drove up and down Las Vegas Boulevard for about an hour. Just before 8:40 a.m., the Cybertruck entered the valet area outside the Trump International Hotel and exploded.
The truck's flatbed contained gasoline cans, camping fuel, and a large mortar for fireworks. Despite this flammable payload, the Cybertruck's design clearly saved lives.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
“The exterior of the truck appears to be completely intact as long as it's been there,” McMahill said. “The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside the attendant because the majority of the explosion went through the truck and out.”
What happened to Tesla CEO Elon Musk? noticed In X, “Evil Knucklehead chose the wrong vehicle for his terrorist attack. The Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors in the lobby were destroyed.”
Officials briefed on the investigation Confirmed ABC News reported that the explosion was not caused by an exploding lithium battery.
Seven people were slightly injured in the explosion. LVMPD said both victims were briefly hospitalized but later released.
“We're trying to see if we can say, 'Hey, this is a terrorist attack.'”
McMahill was reluctant to confirm the driver's identity, but a senior law enforcement official said: said KOAA-TV reported that Matthew Libersberger, a 37-year-old Army veteran who lives in Colorado Springs, rented the Cybertruck and was behind the wheel at the time. Hours after the explosion, armored vehicles and law enforcement officers in tactical gear were reported to be on the scene at one of Libersberger's known speaking locations.
daily mail reported Libersberger served in the Army for nearly 20 years, including 18 years in Special Forces. Authorities have not confirmed whether the two knew each other, but Libersberger was at one point at the same military base as President Joe Biden's now-deceased New Orleans massacre suspect Jabbar. There was a time when I worked at suspect Wednesday was inspired by ISIS. Jabbar likewise served in the Army, serving on active duty from 2007 to 2015 and then in the Reserves from 2015 to 2020.
It's unclear whether the Cybertruck driver knew or had any ties to the suspect in the New Orleans massacre, but they both purchased their rental cars from the same company.
McMahill said the Cybertruck was being rented from Colorado rental company Turo's app, and its progress was confirmed by Tesla charging station data obtained by Elon Musk. The sheriff suggested it was a “coincidence” that the truck used in the New Orleans attack was also rented through Touro.
Turo said “We are disappointed to confirm that this morning's horrific attack in New Orleans and this afternoon's Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas both involved vehicles rented from Touro,” the statement said. ” he said.
The company added: “We do not believe either tenant has a criminal history that would warrant them being considered a security threat. At this time, we are not aware of any information that would indicate a connection between the two incidents.”
The FBI, through its Joint Terrorism Task Force, is currently investigating the Cybertruck explosion and is trying to determine whether it was a terrorist attack.
After confirming the driver's identity, Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters that the task force's secondary objective was to “determine whether this was an act of terrorism.”
“I know everyone's interested in that word and trying to see if they can say, 'Hey, this is a terrorist attack.' That's our goal and what we're trying to do is “It's about being there,” Schwartz said.
Sheriff McMahill apparently speculated about the choice of target, saying, “It's a Tesla truck, we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it's Trump Tower, so obviously we're concerned.” There's something to be said for it. That's what we keep looking at.”
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
