Authorities are investigating Wednesday's explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Las Vegas Hotel as a possible act of terrorism, The Post has learned.
Wild surveillance footage shared on social media shows an electric pickup truck suddenly burst into flames, blowing the vehicle into pieces around 8:40 a.m. local time. Shattered glass, metal panels and other debris could be seen flying in all directions.
Then, eerie smoke engulfed the outside of the hotel, leaving the Cybertruck as a fiery wreck.
The explosion left at least seven bystanders with minor injuries and killed the driver who pulled his truck into the hotel's valet area, authorities said.
“A 2024 Cybertruck pulled up in front of the hotel. In fact, it stopped right next to the hotel's glass entrance door. Smoke started coming out of the car, and then a huge explosion came out of the truck. We saw it coming,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters.
The victims' bodies were so badly burned that authorities were unable to determine their race or gender.
The explosion occurred just hours after a U.S. military veteran carrying an ISIS flag drove his pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's cheerers on New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.
President Biden later revealed that law enforcement was investigating “if there is any connection” between the bloody rampage on Bourbon Street and the Cybertruck explosion.
McMahill stressed that authorities “haven't ruled out anything yet,” adding that there is no indication that the electric truck explosion was connected to ISIS.
“I don't know, but what I can tell you is that we are thoroughly investigating the connection to what happened in New Orleans and other attacks around the world,” he told reporters. Ta.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the identity or gender of the Cybertruck driver. This is because there is still no “100% certainty of who that person is''.
But investigators determined the Tesla truck was rented through the Turo app and was the same one used to rent the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack, law enforcement officials said in a post. told the paper.
The person who rented the vehicle was also identified.
McMahill said that Turo was used as a vehicle rental in both incidents, “again, it's a coincidence and absolutely … we have to continue to investigate.”
Authorities also confirmed that the Cybertruck was loaded with a firework-shaped mortar and are investigating whether it was fired intentionally.
They showed footage of the remains of a pyrotechnic-style mortar, camp fuel and canisters that were then hosed down. However, researchers have not yet determined what specific mechanism caused the explosion.
Tesla President Elon Musk said the Cybertruck explosion was “unrelated to the vehicle itself” and that “all telemetry on the vehicle at the time of the explosion was positive.”
“The Cybertruck is the worst choice for a car bomb, because its stainless steel armor can contain the explosion better than other commercial vehicles,” he wrote to X.
Officials were unsure whether there was a connection between the Cybertruck's use and the Trump Las Vegas hotel explosion, given Musk's political ties to President-elect Donald Trump.
“We know this is a Tesla truck and Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, but it's Trump Tower. So there's clearly something to be concerned about there, and that's what we “We are continuing to investigate,” McMahill said when asked if there was a connection.
A law enforcement investigation is underway and although the fire has been extinguished, police are asking the public to stay away from the area. According to the paper, there was no Secret Service protection in place for President Trump in Las Vegas at the time of the explosion.
Surveillance footage showed glass doors at the front of the hotel shaking, but the extent of damage from the explosion was not entirely clear.
President Trump's Las Vegas hotel thanked law enforcement for their response to the explosion.
“Earlier today, there was a reported electric vehicle fire in the driveway of Trump Las Vegas. The safety and health of our guests and staff remains our top priority,” the hotel said in a statement.
The hotel has faced security concerns in the past, including threats, given its association with President Trump.
“The safety and health of our customers and staff remains our top priority. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their quick response and professionalism,” said Eric, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization. Trump wrote about the incident on social media.
The newspaper has reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Trump transition team for additional information and comment.
The FBI said an ISIS flag was flying inside the car of Shamsuddin Jabbar, 42, the suspect who died in the New Orleans attack.
Officials also suggested the suspect may not have been acting alone.
Meanwhile, out of an abundance of caution, law enforcement will station vehicles on 56th and 57th Streets outside Trump Tower and limit vehicle stops.
