Las Vegas police said the suspect who died inside a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday was shot in the head before an explosion destroyed the vehicle and injured seven people.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill released more information about the Las Vegas explosion. press conference On Thursday, authorities said they found fuel, fireworks, two semi-automatic rifles and the identification card of Matthew Libersberger, 37, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, inside the Cybertruck.
“To further complicate the identification of this individual, we also learned through the medical examiner's office that this individual had been shot in the head prior to the vehicle explosion,” McMahill said.
One of the two guns, both registered to Libersberger, was found near the footwell of the Cybertruck driver.
Mr McMahill said the person, who had been “burned beyond recognition”, was believed to be Mr Libersberger, although DNA testing had not yet been done.
Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the investigation will determine whether the material inside the Cybertruck was intended to cause a larger explosion. said it was too early.
“The level of sophistication is not what you would expect from an individual with this type of military experience,” Cooper said. “Most of the material inside the Tesla was fuel to create a larger explosion.”
An Army spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that Libersberger is a sergeant major who served on active duty in the Army from January 2006 to March 2011. He then joined the National Guard and then the Army Reserve.
After the explosion, police tracked the rental Cybertruck's movements through Tesla charging stations across Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
The investigation is ongoing and a motive is unknown at this time.
The explosion raised concerns about political violence and a potential link to the terrorist attack in New Orleans that occurred hours earlier.
A man identified as Texas resident Shamsud Din Jabbar crashed into a pickup truck on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring many more. His truck and surrounding area were loaded with explosives, and he was carrying an ISIS flag.
Las Vegas police confirmed that both men were in the Army, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, now known as Fort Liberty, and deployed to Afghanistan. Both men rented attack vehicles through the rental company Turo.
Police stressed that it was unclear whether the two incidents were related or if the men were involved with each other.
