Firework mortars, gas cannisters stuffed inside Tesla that exploded outside Trump’s Las Vegas hotel
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Firework mortars and camp fuel canisters were found stuffed into the back of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel early Wednesday, killing a suspect inside the vehicle and sparking an intense investigation into possible terrorism.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department officials said that a person died inside the futuristic-looking pickup truck and seven people nearby suffered minor injuries.
By late Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still working to get the body out of the vehicle and start processing the evidence inside. President Joe Biden was briefed on the explosion.
“Our number one goal is to ensure that we have the proper identification of the subject involved in this incident,” said Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge for the FBI’s Las Vegas office, “Following that, our second objective is to determine whether this was an act of terrorism or not.”
Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said authorities know who rented the truck with the Turo app in Colorado, but are not releasing the name until investigators determine if it is the same person who died.
McMahill said video captured at Telsa charging stations provided by CEO Elon Musk helped authorities track the vehicle’s journey, arriving in Las Vegas about 7:30 AM. then driving about an hour later into the valet area of the Trump International Hotel, where it sat 15 to 20 seconds before the explosion occurred.
Video presented at an afternoon news conference showed a tumble of charred fireworks mortars, cannisters and other explosive devices crowded into the back of the pickup. The truck bed walls were still intact because the blast shot straight up rather than to the sides.
Musk said Wednesday afternoon on X that “we have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
In an earlier post on the platform Musk said that his entire senior term was investigating the explosion, adding, “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Musk has recently become a member of Trump’s inner circle. Neither Trump nor Musk were in Las Vegas early Wednesday. Both had attended Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Trump’s estate 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 has been a frequent guest there. Trump has named Musk, the world’s richest man, to co-lead a new effort to find ways to cut the government’s size and spending.
“This is a Tesla truck, and we know that Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it’s the Trump Tower,” McMahill said when reporters asked about possible political connections. “So there’s obviously things to be concerned about and it’s something we continue to look at.”
The truck explosion came hours after a driver rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone.
“We are absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world,” McMahill said. “We aren’t ruling anything out.”
In a statement, Turo said it was working with authorities.
“We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat,” the statement said.
In Las Vegas, witness Ana Bruce, visiting from Brazil, said she heard three explosions.
“The first one where we saw the fire, the second one, I guess, was the battery or something like that, and the third was the big one that smoked the entire area and was the moment when everyone was told to evacuate and stay away,” Bruce said.
Her travel companion, Alcides Antunes, showed video he took of flames lapping the sides of the silver-colored vehicle.
The 64-story hotel is just off the Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.
Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on the social media platform X. He praised the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism.”
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. Snow reported from Phoenix.
Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas investigated as possible act of terrorism
A Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Towers in Las Vegas early Wednesday, killing one person in the vehicle, is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, according to law enforcement.
Investigators do not believe there's "any other danger to the community right now," FBI agent Jeremy Schwartz said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
"We do not believe that there's a bunch of folks out there supporting this or helping this," Schwartz said.
The sole person inside the vehicle died, and seven people suffered minor injuries, Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. He called the explosion "an isolated incident" and said there is no indication that it was linked to ISIS.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the Cybertruck was rented to Matthew Alan Livelsberger, an active duty U.S. Army servicemember who was serving in Germany but was on leave in Colorado at the time of the incident. CBS News spoke to two relatives of Livelsberger who were unaware of any involvement in the incident, but who confirmed he had rented a Cybertruck. One relative told CBS News that Livelsberger's wife had not heard from him in several days.
McMahill said gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars were found in the back of the vehicle after the explosion, which occurred about 15 seconds after the vehicle pulled in front of the building. It's still unclear how the explosives were ignited, he said.
The sheriff said the truck was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning.
"We do know who rented the truck. We are looking at that individual," McMahill said, declining to release a name until officials are certain about the person's identity.
Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said police and city marshals "will remain on extra alert," and told people to expect "a significant officer presence on the Strip, in the downtown and throughout the valley for the next 2 days."
The explosion occurred hours after a deadly New Orleans attack, when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people. The FBI said "weapons and a potential IED," or improvised explosive device, were found in his vehicle, which was flying an ISIS flag.
Authorities were looking into several odd similarities between the incidents in Las Vegas and New Orleans. In addition to their timing on New Year's Day, both attacks involved trucks rented from the carsharing company Turo. Both involved U.S.-born military servicemen who served in Afghanistan around the same time.
President Biden said Wednesday evening that law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating whether the Las Vegas blast has any possible connection with the New Orleans attack, but "thus far there's nothing to report."
The Cybertruck, a 2024 model, pulled up to the hotel's glass entrance doors, McMahill said. Smoke began emerging from the vehicle, and then a large explosion occurred.
Several videos posted on social media showed the blast and the Cybertruck engulfed in flames.
The Cybertruck appears to have been rented via the Turo app, which enables peer-to-peer car rentals. It's the same app that a source said was used by the New Orleans attacker to rent the pickup he used. In a statement, a Turo spokesperson said: "We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat."
In the past year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become a major donor and close adviser to Trump, with the billionaire tasked to head up Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk, along with his co-leader of DOGE, Vivek Ramaswamy, are aiming to cut billions in federal spending.
"[O]bviously a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel — there's lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward with that," McMahill said.
Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a post on X, Musksaid The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. Will post more information as soon as we learn anything. We've never seen anything like this."
In another post a few hours later, he said the blast "was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself."
A county spokeswoman said in a statement that the fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8:40 a.m. Details about the incident were initially sketchy.
"I know you have a lot of questions," Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Las Vegas office, said at the news conference. "We don't have a lot of answers."
Eric Trump, one of the president-elect's sons, posted about the fire on X, saying that an "electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas."
Officials urged people to stay away from the area around the Trump Las Vegas hotel, which was evacuated. The 64-story hotel is just off the famed Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.
Tesla introduced its steel-clad, futuristic-looking Cybertruck in 2023, with Musk at the time touting the vehicle's bullet-proof windows. The all-wheel Cybertruck ranges in price from about $80,000 to $100,000.
The Associated Press, Margaret Brennan, Robert Legare, Jennifer Jacobs and James LaPorta contributed to this report.
Fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel used in Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Las Vegas Trump Hotel
Authorities believe fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel were connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver in the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas Wednesday morning, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
The FBI is working to determine whether the incident was a terrorist act, Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge for the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said Wednesday. The agency believes it was an isolated incident and there is no further danger to the public, Schwartz noted.
A vehicle fire was reported at the hotel just after 8:40 a.m, and crews arrived to find a 2024 Cybertruck engulfed in flames, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference.
There is one person dead inside the Cybertruck, where the body remains as authorities continue their investigation, McMahill said Wednesday evening.
Seven victims were hurt by the explosion, all of whom are in stable condition, Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels said.
The vehicle was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, McMahill said.
About an hour later, after driving up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, the truck pulled up to the Trump Hotel and exploded, authorities said Wednesday evening.
Surveillance video shows a driver passing by the Trump Hotel in Vegas about an hour before the car explodes, and then circling back near the end of that hour andstopping in front of the hotel, where the car explodes several seconds later, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
Video shared on social media appears to show the car engulfed in smoke as it is being hosed down.
Video shared by police during a press conference shows charred gasoline canisters and firework mortars in the bed of the badly burned truck.
Police said they do know who rented the truck, but authorities are not prepared to release a name as they work to positively identify the person in the vehicle.
“The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet, because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out,” McMahill said. He noted that the glass front doors to the hotel were not broken during the explosion.
“I have to thank Elon Musk specifically,” he added, noting that Musk gave authorities “quite a bit of additional information,” including directly sending them video from Tesla charging stations to help with their efforts to track the driver.
The vehicle was rented through the car rental company Turo, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. McMahill said it was a “coincidence” that the truck used to ram into a crowd in New Orleans was also rented through Turo, and that authorities are investigating. CNN has reached out to the company.
“We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families,” said a spokesperson for Turo who added that the company is “actively partnering” with law enforcement.
“We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat,” the spokesperson said. “We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”
Authorities have not determined any connection between the two incidents at this time.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo wrote on X that his office is coordinating with authorities and will ensure they have any necessary resources available.
In a post on X, Elon Musk wrote Tesla is investigating the matter.
”We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk wrote.
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle,” Musk added, noting that the Cybertruck directed the blast upwards and helped contain the explosion. “Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”
Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump organization, also posted on X that the “safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism,” Trump wrote.
Galit Ventura Rozen, who was a guest on the 62nd floor of the nearby Resorts World Las Vegas at the time of the explosion, said she looked out of her window to see a cloud of smoke rising from the area near the Trump hotel and immediately began recording.
“We saw a huge cloud of smoke … we didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “Then I saw a line of probably at least three ambulances and a bunch of police cars.”
Rozen said she later filmed a crowd of what appeared to be Trump hotel guests standing in a nearby parking lot.
McMahill told reporters the investigation into the incident is ongoing and his team is also “well aware” of the attack in New Orleans that killed at least 10 people and injured dozens of others.
As a result, the sheriff said they are checking for “secondary devices” to ensure the safety of the community.
“There does not appear to be any further threat to our community here now,” McMahill said.
“But obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel – there’s lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward.”
CNN’s Jack Hannah contributed to this report.
Police probe if blast at Trump hotel is linked to New Orleans attack
Police in the US are investigating whether an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas is inked to the deadly car-ramming attack in New Orleans.
The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck was killed and seven other people were injured in Las Vegas after the vehicle - filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars - exploded. Officials said all injuries were minor.
In the New Orleans attack, a 42-year-old US citizen is believed to have driven a pick-up truck into a crowd on a busy street, killing 15 people and injuring 35, before being shot dead by police.
President Joe Biden said investigators were looking into whether the two incidents were linked, but "thus far, there is nothing to report".
More on the New Orleans attack
- LIVE: Several people involved in IS-inspired attack
- The victims: Aspiring nurse and ex-college football player among the dead
- The attacker: What we know about Shamsud-Din Jabbar
- Watch: How day of deadly attack unfolded
The Cybertruck was rented in Colorado and arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the detonation, police said. Parked in front of the hotel near a glass entrance, the vehicle started to smoke, then exploded.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill showed reporters dramatic footage of the explosion and photos of the aftermath, including several fuel canisters along with large fireworks in the truck bed.
Footage showed the truck parked directly in front of the entrance of the hotel. The truck sits idle for several seconds before exploding - bursts of multi-coloured fireworks shooting in multiple directions.
Another video showed investigators using a black fire-retardant tarp to put out the blaze and the charred remains of the truck bed. An array of gas and fuel canisters were left behind along with the remnants of more than a dozen firework mortars.
The fire occurred around 08:40 PT (15:40 GMT), just hours after a man drove a truck with an Islamic State (IS) group flag into the crowd in New Orleans. At least 15 people died and dozens were injured.
Mr McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said the authorities were examining whether the incident could be connected to the one in New Orleans, where improvised explosive devices were found near the scene.
He said they were also investigating whether it might be linked to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Elon Musk, who owns Tesla.
"Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel, there's lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward," he said.
The FBI also said the agency was looking into whether the incident might be an act of terrorism, but the authorities said they currently had not confirmed the identity of the driver, who died in the vehicle. Authorities also said thus far, they had found no evidence that this incident was related to IS.
"I know everybody's interested in that word, and trying to see if we can say, 'Hey, this is a terrorist attack.' That is our goal, and that's what we're trying to do," FBI special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz told reporters at a news conference.
The sheriff noted that both vehicles appeared to be rented from Turo, an app-based car rental company.
A Turo spokesperson said in a statement that the company was working with authorities in Las Vegas and New Orleans to help with the investigation. The spokesperson noted both renters appeared to not have a criminal background that would have "identified them as a security threat".
"We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families," the statement reads.
The authorities say they do have the name of the person who rented the vehicle but have not officially confirmed it was the person driving the vehicle.
"As you can imagine, with an explosion here on an iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe," he said during a news conference.
Mr McMahill said there was no longer a threat to the Las Vegas community.
Biden was briefed on both the attack in New Orleans and the Las Vegas explosion.
"We're tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas," said the president in an evening address.
"Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans."
Fire department officials said emergency responders had quickly worked to extinguish the vehicle fire.
They added that the public should stay away from the area. The hotel was evacuated, with most of the guests moving to a different location.
It is owned in part by President-elect Donald Trump's company. In a post on X, Trump's son, Eric Trump, said a "reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas".
"The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism," he said.
Stephen Ferlando told the Washington Post that he had witnessed the incident from his hotel room on the 53rd floor of the Trump Tower. He told the outlet there was "definitely an explosion" and that the windows had begun to shake.
The Trump Hotel spans 64 floors with around 1,300 suites, according to its website.
Trump recently named Musk to co-lead a presidential advisory commission, the Department of Government Efficiency, after the two became close during Trump's campaign.
Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Las Vegas hotel, killing driver
LAS VEGAS, Jan 1 (Reuters) - A Tesla Cybertruck exploded in flames outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing the driver and injuring seven others, and the FBI was investigating whether the blast was an act of terrorism, officials said.
Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames pouring out of it, as it sat outside the hotel.
The incident occurred just hours after a man drove a truck into crowds of New Year's Day revelers in New Orleans, killing 15.
The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is part of the Trump Organization, the company of President-elect Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on Jan. 20. Tesla (TSLA.O) , opens new tab CEO Elon Musk was a key backer of Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign and is also an adviser to the incoming president.
"Obviously a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel - there's lots of questions that we have to answer," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at an afternoon press conference.
FBI special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz later told reporters that it was not yet clear whether the blast was an act of terrorism.
"I know everybody's interested in that word, and trying to see if we can say, 'Hey, this is a terrorist attack.' That is our goal, and that's what we're trying to do," Schwartz said.
He added that the FBI had identified the person driving the vehicle, which had been rented in Colorado, but was not yet ready to publicly identify the driver.
Musk said the blast was unrelated to the Cybertruck itself.
"We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself," Musk said in a post on X. "All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion."
Telemetry involves the automatic collection of data from remote sources, transmitting it back to a central source so it can later be analyzed.
A person was found dead inside the 2024 model-year Cybertruck and seven people sustained minor injuries from the explosion, McMahill said. He added that both the Cybertruck and the vehicle used in the New Orleans attack had been rented through car-sharing service Turo.
A Turo spokesperson said the company did not believe either of the renters of the vehicles involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.
"We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents," the spokesperson added.
McMahill said the Cybertruck pulled up to the Trump building at 8:40 a.m. local time (1640 GMT). He said police were mindful of the New Orleans attack that occurred earlier on Wednesday. The FBI said a potential explosive device was found in the vehicle used in the New Orleans attack.
Las Vegas firefighters responded four minutes after the vehicle fire was reported and extinguished it. Two of the injured people were transported to hospitals with minor injuries. The Trump Hotel was evacuated after the incident and most of the visitors were moved to another hotel.
Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and a son of President-elect Trump, posted about the incident on X. "Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas," he wrote, referring to the building's covered entrance area.
Tesla Cybertruck explosion near Las Vegas Trump hotel investigated as possible terror act
LAS VEGAS — Authorities are investigating a possible act of terror in Las Vegas after a Tesla Cybertruck parked near the Trump International Hotel exploded Wednesday, leaving one dead and seven injured.
The vehicle was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. PT, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference. The driver of the vehicle, who has not yet been named by authorities, drove the vehicle up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before pulling in front of the Trump hotel around 8:40 a.m.
The vehicle sat there about 15 seconds before the explosion went off, McMahill said. Police later discovered gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars in the back of the vehicle. The sole individual in the truck died.
The explosion occurred hours after the deadly attack involving a truck in New Orleans on New Year's Day. President Joe Biden said federal authorities are investigating whether there may be a link between the fatal truck assault and the explosion in Las Vegas.
"We’re tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas," Biden said in his public remarks. "Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans.”
Jeremy Schwartz, acting Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in Las Vegas, said the incident at the Trump hotel is being investigated through the bureau’s joint terrorism task force.
"Our number one goal is to ensure that we have the proper identification of the subject involved in this incident," Schwartz said. "Following that, our second objective is to determine whether this was an act of terrorism or not."
Earlier in the day, Schwartz said: "I know you're looking for a lot of answers. We just don't have a lot of answers. We're going to continue to work as hard as we can over the next 24 to 48 hours to hopefully get more to you."
McMahill credited the Cybertruck for directing the blast "up through the truck and out," which "really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet."
First unveiled in 2019, the Cybertruck is a battery-powered EV and Tesla’s first truck. The vehicle gained attention for its post-apocalyptic styling. It was marketed as having a "bullet tough" stainless-steel frame and "basically rock-proof" armored glass, according to previous statements from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Musk speculated that the explosion may have been an act of terrorism on his social media site X, noting that both the Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 truck used in New Orleans were rented from Turo.
"That's another coincidence that absolutely is continuing to bear from our investigation that we have to continue to look into," McMahill said during the news conference. He said there was no indication of any links to the terrorist groupIslamic State, but "we are investigating every aspect of this."
Turo confirmed Wednesday that the vehicles involved in the Las Vegas explosion and New Orleans attack were rented from the peer-to-peer car rental service.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Turo said in a statement. "We are devastated by these horrible incidents, and remain dedicated to helping the authorities however we can."
Turo said its trust and safety team is working with law enforcement to "share any information that could be helpful in their investigations."
The company noted that it does not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat and that the company was not aware of any information suggesting the two incidents are related.
Colette Robertson, from Orlando, Florida, said she was in a hotel room on the 38th floor of the Trump International Hotel Wednesday morning when she heard explosions from below.
"All we could see was pluming smoke coming out," Robertson said, standing on the Las Vegas Strip near where police had set up a blockade. "We were worried."
Robertson said she headed downstairs to investigate and could see a Cybertruck parked in front of the hotel's front doors. Robertson said she was evacuated from the hotel about an hour later.
"We were supposed to fly out at 2:30," Robertson told USA TODAY midday Wednesday, pointing out that her luggage and rental car were still at the hotel. "I don't know how that's supposed to happen."
Tricia Boyer, who was staying at the Trump Hotel with her family, said she initially dismissed the explosion as fireworks left over from New Year's Eve celebrations.
"We thought for sure that some random firework didn't go off last night and just randomly went off," Boyer, of Phoenix told USA TODAY. But "it was quite the boom."
When Boyer later left her hotel room on the 30th floor to let her French bulldog outside, she said the elevator smelled like smoke, the air was "a little hazy," and she was ushered outside once she reached the lower level. She said her husband and five kids remained in the hotel, along with her wallet and other belongings.
"I'm still in my pajamas," she told USA TODAY early Wednesday afternoon. "Everything's in the room. I don't even have socks on. I have nothing on me — I just have my phone, and one of the nice security guards over at the Wynn gave me some water. So we're working it out."
McMahill told reporters Wednesday afternoon that "the Trump will remain closed as we continue this lengthy investigation."
"The safety & well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response," Trump Las Vegas posted on X.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
1 Dead in Cybertruck Explosion Outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas
A Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames outside the front doors of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on the morning of Jan. 1, killing the car’s driver and injuring seven more.
Emergency personnel said that two people were hospitalized as a result of the apparent attack.
Authorities described the explosives in the vehicle as a combination of fireworks, camping fuel and gas tanks, according to CNN. Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of the car’s manufacturer Tesla, later claimed that the vehicle itself was not the cause of the explosion, writing on X: “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
Las Vegas police said they are investigating the incident as a crime and “possible act of terror.”
The electric vehicle was obtained via private rental app Turo, according to a law enforcement source who spoke with the Associated Press—the same app allegedly used by a man who plowed into a crowd of New Years’ revelers in a truck on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 15 people and injuring more than 30 others. Authorities are also investigating that mass killing as an act of terrorism, and whether the two acts were connected.
Video from the scene shows the Cybertruck engulfed in a fire just outside the front doors of the hotel—which escaped the explosion without breaking.
The user who first posted a video of the explosion said that the car immediately burst into flames after parking at the hotel’s valet stand. Another social media user who shared a video from inside the hotel said that the “windows shook violently” after the explosion.
Eric Trump, who in his role as Trump Org executive vice president oversees the company’s hotels and other properties, thanked firefighters and law enforcement for their response on X.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority,” he wrote.
Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas: What we know so far
A Tesla Cybertruck pulled up to the glass entrance doors of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day, began emitting smoke and then exploded, according to authorities.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a media briefing that one individual in the car died and seven others sustained injuries. McMahill added that authorities were investigating "a number of leads."
SEE ALSO: Tesla suspends Cybertruck production. Who could have predicted this?
He also acknowledged the alleged terror attack in New Orleans early on New Year's Day, during which a driver rammed into a crowd, killing at least 10 people. Law enforcement later found suspected improvised explosive devices in the city.
McMahill said local authorities were searching Las Vegas for any "secondary devices," adding that "...there does not appear to be any further threat to our community here, now."
In a subsequent briefing on Wednesday afternoon, McMahill stated that investigators found gas tanks, camping fuel, and large firework mortars in the Cybertruck's bed. However, they have not yet located any devices which might have set off these materials, leaving questions regarding how they were ignited.
The Cybertruck had been rented in Colorado and driven to Las Vegas, with investigators tracking it via Tesla charging stations (McMahill revealed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided law enforcement with video from said stations). Arriving in the city at approximately 7:30 a.m. as detected by a license plate reader, the truck was driven up and down Las Vegas Boulevard for approximately one hour before it pulled into the Trump International Hotel's valet area and exploded at around 8:40 a.m. Trump Hotel was closed and evacuated following the explosion.
"The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet, because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out," said McMahill, noting that the vehicle's exterior appeared "completely intact." "The front glass doors at the Trump Hotel were not even broken by that blast which they were parked directly in front of."
McMahill further noted that the seven individuals who were harmed suffered only minor injuries. Though two were briefly hospitalised, they have since been discharged.
The FBI is conducting an investigation into the explosion through its Joint Terrorism Task Force comprised of local law enforcement officers. Special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz stated that their first priority is positively identifying the person who was in the Cybertruck, while their secondary goal is to determine whether it was an act of terrorism.
McMahill confirmed that they are investigating any potential connection between this incident and the alleged terror attack in New Orleans, "as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world." He also noted the connection between Musk and President-elect Donald Trump as another possibility they were exploring regarding potential motives.
"I mean, it's a Tesla truck, and we know that Elon Musk is working with president-elect Trump, and it's the Trump Tower, so there's obviously things to be concerned about there, and it's something we continue to look at," McMahill said.
The Cybertruck and the vehicle involved in the New Orleans incident were both rented via peer-to-peer car-sharing app Turo, the company confirming as such in a blog post on Wednesday. Even so, this could easily be a coincidence. As of October, approximately 250,000 cars were reportedly registered with Turo in the U.S.
"We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related," stated Turo, noting that it is working with law enforcement to share any information that may be useful to the investigations.
The cause of the Cybertruck's explosion outside of the Trump hotel was not immediately confirmed by authorities. However, a later media briefing revealed that the Cybertruck's bed contained gas tanks, camping fuel, and large firework mortars. Exactly how they were ignited has not yet been determined, with the investigation still ongoing.
Musk said the explosion was caused by "fireworks and/or a bomb in the bed of the rented cybertruck" in an X post prior to the second media briefing on Wednesday. Earlier, Musk posted on X that the "whole senior Tesla team" was investigating the matter.
"We’ve never seen anything like this," he wrote.
Musk is a close adviser to Trump, as well as one of his biggest donors. Musk gave at least $277 million to Trump and other Republicans during the 2024 election cycle, according to The Washington Post.
The Cybertruck has been plagued by recalls this year. In December, 700,000 Tesla vehicles, including certain Cybertrucks, were affected by a recall related to a tire pressure warning light. The problem could cause users to unknowingly drive on low-pressure tires. Other recall notices involved glitches with the windshield wiper, rearview display, and accelerator pedal.
UPDATE: Jan. 1, 2025, 4:17 p.m. PST This story has been updated to correct the number of Cybertrucks affected by a December recall. The tire pressure warning recall applied to 700,000 Tesla vehicles overall, including certain Cybertrucks.
UPDATE: Jan. 2, 2025, 4:41 p.m. AEDT This article has been updated to include further details disclosed at the second press briefing as well as Turo's statement.
