The FBI is investigating whether there is any connection between the Tesla in front of Las Vegas’ Trump International Hotel and one in New Orleans that killed 15 people on New Year’s Day, officials said.
Gallons of gasoline and large mortar shells of fireworks were placed in the Cybertruck, which exploded shortly after a driver intentionally drove a pickup truck into crowds celebrating the New Year in New Orleans’ French Quarter, according to authorities.
In the case of the Cybertruck, the sole occupant was found dead inside it and seven people suffered minor injuries, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.
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The FBI identified the person driving the vehicle but was not ready to release that information, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Schwartz told reporters Wednesday.
The FBI did not return a request for more information this Thursday (2).
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Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the Las Vegas hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames coming from it outside the hotel around 8:40 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday.
A Trump spokesman did not return a request for comment Thursday about the Cybertruck incident. Eric Trump praised Las Vegas firefighters and law enforcement officials Wednesday for their quick action in the explosion.
“Lots of questions”
The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is part of the Trump Organization, the company of US President-elect Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20. Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, was one of Trump’s main supporters in his 2024 presidential campaign and is also an advisor to the new president.
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“Obviously, a Cybertruck, Trump’s hotel — there are a lot of questions we have to answer,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference.
Police said the Cybertruck was rented in Colorado, arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. and drove through the city’s famous Strip, full of hotels, casinos and entertainment venues, until arriving at the hotel, where it stopped in the valet area.
“Detectives found gallons of gasoline and large fireworks mortars in the bed of the pickup truck,” a police statement said.
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Schwartz, the FBI special agent in charge, said it remains unclear whether the explosion was an act of terrorism.
Musk that the explosion is not related to the Cybertruck itself.
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb transported in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” said Musk, in a post on X. “All telemetry from the vehicle was positive at the time of the explosion.”
