Details of the New Year’s Day explosion at the Trump Hotel

Early on New Year’s Day, an electronic truck exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas. One suspect died inside the Tesla, and seven people nearby were injured. Officials have since launched an extensive investigation into a possible terrorist act.

Police reveal details about the Cybertruck explosion

according to Associated PressInvestigators discovered fireworks mortar shells and camp fuel canisters stuffed in the back of the E-truck. Las Vegas police and Clark County Fire Department officials confirmed the number of people who died and those who were injured. However, by late Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still working to remove the body from the car and begin processing the evidence inside.

The first goal is to properly identify the subject, said Jeremy Schwartz, of the FBI’s Las Vegas office. Then the next priority was to determine whether the explosion was an act of terrorism or not.

As of Wednesday evening, authorities had identified the person who rented the Cybertruck using the Turo app in Colorado. Toro said in a statement that she was working with authorities. However, local Sheriff Kevin McMahill said they would not release the tenant’s name until they confirmed whether it was the same person who died in the explosion.

“We do not believe that any of the tenants involved in the Las Vegas attacks… had a criminal background that would identify them as a security threat,” the statement read.

A video shown at an afternoon news conference showed mortar shells, charred fireworks explosives and other explosive devices crammed into the back of the pickup truck. The walls of the truck bed were still intact because the explosion went straight up and not to the sides.

How Tesla CEO Elon Musk helped with the investigation

Tesla CEO Elon Musk assisted in the investigation by sharing videos taken at the company’s charging stations. The footage helped authorities track the car’s journey and determine it arrived in Las Vegas at about 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, McHale said. An hour later, the deceased victim drove the Cybertruck to the parking area of ​​the Trump International Hotel. It remained there for 15 to 20 seconds before it exploded.

Musk clarified on Wednesday afternoon that the explosion was not due to any malfunctions in the Cybertruck. Earlier in the day, he assured supporters that his senior team was investigating and that the company had “never seen anything like this before.”

“…We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by a very large fireworks and/or bomb carried in the bed of a rented Cybertruck and had nothing to do with the vehicle itself. “All vehicle telemetry devices were positive at the time of the explosion,” he wrote on X (officially Twitter).

We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by a very large fireworks and/or bomb carried in the bed of a rented Cybertruck and had nothing to do with the vehicle itself.

All of the vehicle’s telemetry devices were positive at the time of the explosion. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025

For context, Musk recently became a member of Trump’s inner circle. Neither Trump nor Musk were in Las Vegas at his hotel early Wednesday. They both attended Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Trump’s home in South Florida. Musk spent an estimated $250 million during the presidential campaign to support the former president. He was at Trump’s resort on Election Night and was a frequent guest there. Trump has appointed Musk, the world’s richest man, to co-lead a new effort to find ways to reduce the size and spending of government.

Why does this context matter? Well, Sheriff McMahill said they’re exploring any connections.

“This is a Tesla truck, and we know Elon Musk works for President-elect Trump, and it’s Trump Tower,” McMahill said when reporters asked about possible political connections. “So there are clearly things to be concerned about and that’s something we continue to look at.”

Witness Anna Bruce, who was visiting Las Vegas from Brazil, said she heard three explosions. “The first one was where we saw the fire, the second one, I think, was the battery or something like that, and the third one was the big one that smoked the whole area and it was the moment when everyone was told to evacuate and stay away.” “.

Related to: A Nevada teen has a broken jaw and missing teeth after a vape pen exploded in his mouth

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Associated Press writers Ty O’Neill, Anita Snow, Colleen Long, Zeke Miller and Michelle L. contributed to this report. Price.