Las Vegas attacker suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, FBI says

By John Gittelsohn

A decorated US Army Green Beret who died in a New Year’s Day explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and had no apparent ties to terrorism, according to law enforcement officials.

Matthew Livelsberger, 37, died by suicide after shooting himself and detonating explosives inside a rented Tesla Cybertruck, authorities said on Friday. The blast injured seven people.

The explosion occurred just hours after a separate attack in New Orleans, where an Army officer drove a truck into a crowd, killing 14 people, sparking initial fears of a coordinated terrorist spree. The driver, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was killed in a shootout with police after the rampage.

An investigation by the FBI and local law enforcement has since confirmed there’s no link between the two incidents.

In Las Vegas, “although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues,” FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans said at a press conference.

Authorities haven’t determined why Livelsberger stopped the truck outside the Trump International Hotel. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, manufactures the Cybertruck.

In notes recovered by police, Livelsberger called his actions a wake-up call to “fellow service members, veterans, and all Americans,” claiming the country was being led by “weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves,” according to Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

“This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake-up call,” Livelsberger said in his notes. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives? Why did I personally do it now? I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.”

Police released more excerpts from Livelsberger’s writings late Friday, including comments signaling support for Trump, Musk and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“Consider this last sunset of ‘24 and my actions the end of our sickness and a new chapter of health for our people,” Livelsberger wrote. “Rally around the Trump, Musk, Kennedy, and ride this wave to the highest hegemony for all Americans! We are second to no one.”

Livelsberger suffered symptoms of traumatic brain injury following combat, according to a nurse who treated him, the Washington Post reported.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill urged the public to be vigilant in recognizing signs of distress among military and law enforcement personnel, highlighting the psychological toll their service often entails.

“They see things, they hear things, they feel things, and they smell things that most normal people don’t have to do,” McMahill said. “And the heroes that are serving in the military and on the front lines of America’s policing are challenged that way. And so I think we need to really pay attention to those individuals.”