A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Las Vegas hotel on Wednesday, prompting an investigation into the incident as a potential act of terror. The electric pickup truck was caught on surveillance footage as it suddenly burst into flames around 8:40 a.m. local time, scattering debris in all directions. The explosion left the vehicle in ruins and a cloud of smoke enveloping the hotel’s exterior.
The incident occurred mere hours after a U.S. military veteran, flying an ISIS flag, drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. However, officials have yet to confirm the identity of the Cybertruck driver and maintain that there is no evidence linking the two incidents.
The explosion resulted in minor injuries to at least seven bystanders. The driver, who had parked the truck in the hotel’s valet area, was killed in the blast. Las Vegas Metropolitan Sheriff Kevin McMahill described the scene, stating that the truck pulled up to the hotel’s glass entrance doors before smoke began to emanate from the vehicle, followed by a large explosion.
The FBI is treating the New Orleans attack as an act of terrorism, and President Biden has disclosed that law enforcement is investigating any possible connection between the Bourbon Street rampage and the Cybertruck explosion. Sheriff McMahill emphasized that while there are no current indications of a link between the truck explosion and ISIS, all possibilities are being explored.
The identity and gender of the Cybertruck driver remain unconfirmed. However, it has been established that the Tesla truck was rented through the Turo app, the same platform used to rent the pickup truck involved in the New Orleans attack. The individual who rented the vehicle has been identified.
The Cybertruck was found to be filled with fireworks-style mortars, and authorities are working to determine if they were intentionally ignited. The exact mechanism that triggered the explosion remains unclear. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the explosion was not related to the vehicle itself, and that all vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.
The choice of a Cybertruck for the explosion has raised questions due to Musk’s political ties to President-elect Donald Trump. However, officials are still uncertain if there is a connection between the use of a Cybertruck and the explosion at the Trump Las Vegas hotel.
While the investigation continues, the public is being advised to avoid the area. There were no Secret Service protectees at the Trump Las Vegas hotel at the time of the explosion. The hotel has expressed gratitude to law enforcement for their response to the incident.
The suspect in the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, had an ISIS flag in his vehicle, according to the FBI. Officials have also suggested that the suspect may not have been acting alone. As a precaution, law enforcement will station vehicles on 56th and 57th Streets outside of Trump Tower and restrict vehicles from stopping.