A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel owned by US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring seven others, according to police on Wednesday.
The electric truck, made by Elon Musk’s Tesla company, pulled up to the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel before a “large explosion” occurred, said Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill during a press conference.
Incident Details
Video clips show the stainless steel truck parked at the hotel entrance before it suddenly caught fire, leading to smaller explosions that resembled fireworks.
Sheriff McMahill confirmed that one person inside the Cybertruck had died, and seven people nearby suffered minor injuries. The hotel was evacuated as a safety measure.
Later, McMahill explained that the truck’s rear section was loaded with gasoline, camping fuel canisters, and “large firework mortars.” He also noted that the Cybertruck’s design reduced the damage from the blast by directing most of the explosion upwards. Remarkably, the hotel’s glass doors, just feet away, remained intact.
Investigation Updates
US President Joe Biden stated that authorities were investigating possible links between the Las Vegas explosion and a separate attack in New Orleans earlier that day. In New Orleans, a truck drove into a crowd celebrating New Year’s, killing at least 15 people.
However, Biden emphasized that no connections had been confirmed yet. The FBI and local police believe the Tesla explosion was an isolated event but are investigating whether it could be classified as terrorism.
FBI agent Jeremy Schwartz mentioned that their joint terrorism task force was working on identifying the person involved in the Las Vegas incident and determining if it was an act of terrorism.
Speculations and Statements
Authorities in New Orleans indicated that the suspect in the truck attack there might have been inspired by the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, Sheriff McMahill stated there was no evidence linking the Las Vegas explosion to similar motivations.
He added: “It’s a Tesla truck, and Elon Musk has been collaborating with President-elect Trump. Plus, the incident happened at Trump’s hotel, so we’re looking into all possibilities.”
Elon Musk responded to the event on his social media platform, X, stating that the explosion was “not related to the vehicle itself.” He assured that Tesla’s senior team was investigating the incident and that such an event had never occurred before.
Vehicle Details
The Cybertruck in the Las Vegas explosion was rented through the car-sharing app Turo in Colorado. Interestingly, the vehicle in the New Orleans attack was also rented via the same app. Sheriff McMahill acknowledged this as a “coincidence that requires further investigation.”
Turo’s spokesperson said they are fully cooperating with law enforcement. They also confirmed that neither renter had a criminal record that would have flagged them as a security threat.
