Flames rise from a Tesla Cybertruck after it exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 1, 2025 in this screengrab taken from a social media video.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
The suspect in the Tesla Cybertruck bomb blast that took place outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas has been identified as US Army Special Forces master sergeant Matthew Alan Livelsberger.
As investigations into the blast continue, we take a look at what we know about the former soldier.
Who is Matthew Livelsberger?
A 37-year-old with nearly 20 years of experience in the Special Forces, Livelsberger started his military career as a communications specialist.
He went on to become an intelligence specialist before becoming the senior enlisted leader in an operational detachment, known as an A-Team.
Known as merely 'Berg' by other Green Berets, Livelsberger was posted for several years at the 10th Special Forces Group, based in Colorado Springs, and in Stuttgart, Germany.
Over the course of his military career, NYT reported that Livelsberger was deployed at least six times, and served three tours in Afghanistan. He also served in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and the Congo, reported ABC. Livelsberger was also decorated by the US Army for valour, and awarded two bronze stars.
While Livelsberger did not have specialised explosives training, he did go through basic explosives training and making improvised explosives that all Green Berets are exposed to.
One Green Beret who spoke to NYT on the condition of anonymity also recalled a mission in Afghanistan from 2019, in which Livelsberger was also part of the unit.
Describing the veteran as a capable, experienced soldier, the Green Beret recalled that while most in the unit were carrying assault rifles, Livelsbeger was equipped with a multi-round grenade launcher.
Why did Livelsberger carry out the blast?
People close to Livelsberger, who spoke to multiple publications, expressed bewilderment as to the motive behidn the blast.
ABC quoted a close relative as saying that the 37-year-old was a massive supporter of Donald Trump, throughout the US President-elect's political career.
"He thought Trump was the greatest thing in the world," Livelsberger's relative was quoted as saying.
Green Berets interviewed by NYT also expressed surprise at the nature of the bomb—given his knowledge with explosives, Livelsberger could easily have crafted a far deadlier bomb by packing it with shrapnel, but chose to make a bomb that packed less lethal force.
Given Livelsberger's background and his political leanings, finding a motive may prove easier said than done.
"The motivation at this point is unknown, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Las Vegas, Spencer Evans, said at a news conference Thursday.
"It’s not lost on us that it’s in front of the Trump building, that it’s a Tesla vehicle. But we don’t have information at this point that definitively tells us or suggests it was because of this particular ideology or that, you know, any of the reasoning behind it," Evans added.
What became of Livelsberger?
Livelsberger was inside the Tesla Cybertruck when it exploded, and when authorities found him, he had already been burnt beyond recognition.
As investigators examined the charred remains, they found his military ID, fireworks, and few guns: an assault rifle and two pistols, including a .50 caliber Desert Eagle.
Investigators also found that Livelsberger had killed himself with a gunshot wound to the head as the truck went ablaze.