A vehicle explosion outside the entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day has left investigators probing the motives of a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who carried out the attack, a newly released police report reveals.
The suspect—identified as Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger—had rented a Tesla Cybertruck, loaded it with fireworks, gas canisters and fuel, then parked it in a valet zone before detonating the device and fatally shooting himself. While the blast injured several bystanders, damage to the hotel was minimal, authorities say.
Though no group has claimed responsibility and officials cautioned the incident doesn’t yet meet the legal definition of terrorism, the soldier’s handwritten notes and digital manifestos recovered from his phone suggest a self-styled “wake-up call” to what he described as America’s failing leadership and societal collapse.
Federal agencies including the FBI, ATF and the Army’s Criminal Investigations Division continue their inquiry into the incident, examining whether the attack—though reportedly carried out alone—could signal larger concerns about radicalization or mental-health risks among elite military personnel.