LAS VEGAS: The FBI is investigating potential connections between the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas and a deadly truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 15 people. The two incidents occurred within hours of each other, raising questions among authorities, though no definitive link has been established.
The explosion in Las Vegas involved a pickup truck that had been packed with gasoline canisters and large firework mortars. Authorities confirmed that the truck exploded just after being driven into the valet area of the Trump hotel around 8:40 a.m. local time on January 1. The lone occupant of the truck was found deceased, and seven others sustained minor injuries.
In a separate but closely timed event, a man drove a truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year in New Orleans’ French Quarter, killing 15 people. While the FBI has identified the driver involved in the Las Vegas incident, they have not yet released any further details regarding their identity.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are continuing to investigate the causes of the explosions, with no clear connection to terrorism established at this time. Local authorities noted that the truck, which had been rented in Colorado, arrived in Las Vegas early in the morning and drove through the city’s famous Strip before stopping outside the Trump International Hotel.
“Obviously, a Cybertruck and the Trump Hotel — there are lots of questions that we have to answer,” said Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department during a press conference. Authorities later confirmed that both the Cybertruck and the vehicle involved in the New Orleans attack had been rented through the car-sharing service Turo.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk clarified that the explosion was not caused by a malfunction or issue related to the 2024 Cybertruck model itself. “We have confirmed that the explosion was caused by large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck, unrelated to the vehicle’s internal systems,” Musk wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. He also confirmed that the vehicle’s telemetry data was positive at the time of the explosion, suggesting no technical issues with the car itself.
The Trump Hotel in Las Vegas was evacuated after the explosion, with most guests moved to another hotel. A spokesperson for Turo said that they had no evidence suggesting that the renters of either vehicle involved in the attacks had criminal backgrounds or posed a security threat.
As investigations continue, officials are still determining whether there is a connection between the incidents and the motivations behind them, with the community anxiously awaiting further updates.
