A highly decorated US Army Green Beret died in an apparent suicide before a Tesla Cybertruck explosion near a Trump hotel.
The Associated Press, citing the US Army, identified the suspect in the New Year’s Day Tesla Cybertruck explosion as Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a veteran US special forces soldier who served in Afghanistan (twice) and Ukraine.
The blast outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas injured seven people. According to Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, Livelsberger died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the vehicle exploded.
The US Army confirmed on Thursday that Livelsberger, who enlisted in 2006, had served with the 10th Special Forces Group (Stuttgart, Germany) since 2012. His deployments included Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo, earning him numerous awards, including five Bronze Stars.
The US Army also confirmed to the AP that Livelsberger served in Ukraine, though the exact timeframe remains unclear.
“US Army Special Operations Command is cooperating fully with federal and state law enforcement agencies, but as a matter of policy, we will not comment on ongoing investigations,” the US Army stated.
Law enforcement sources stated that Livelsberger had filled the rented Tesla Cybertruck with fireworks, camping fuel, and other explosives. Despite the explosion’s proximity to the Trump hotel, the sheriff said there’s no definitive evidence of political or ideological motives.
A 2016 Facebook photo shows Livelsberger wearing a t-shirt featuring a Ukrainian coat of arms and a nationalist slogan. A LinkedIn comment shows him responding to a job offer in Ukraine, mentioning knowing a “top” special forces medical sergeant who was “looking for just this opportunity.”
Livelsberger was on leave from his German assignment during the incident. His wife reportedly told investigators he had been missing from their Colorado Springs home after a holiday argument about infidelity.
As a Green Beret, Livelsberger was based at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who committed a deadly vehicle attack in New Orleans on Wednesday, was also stationed at Fort Liberty and deployed to Afghanistan. The Army is investigating a possible connection between the two men.