A decorated Army Green Beret's final moments unfolded in a dramatic incident involving a rented Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel.
According to ABC News, Matthew Livelsberger, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before his Tesla Cybertruck exploded on New Year's Day, left two letters expressing personal and political grievances on the phone found in the vehicle.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Livelsberger described the incident as a "wake up call" and criticized the country's leadership as "weak" and self-serving. However, he explicitly stated that the act was not intended as a terrorist attack.
Livelsberger's military service record painted a picture of a highly decorated combat veteran. He received multiple honors, including a Bronze Star with a "V" device for valor and four standard Bronze Stars. His service in Afghanistan was marked by three separate campaigns, each commemorated with stars on his Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
The incident has brought attention to mental health issues among veterans. Officials confirmed that Livelsberger had been receiving mental health assistance over the past year. Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh disclosed that the Department of Defense provided Livelsberger's medical records to local law enforcement.
Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren shared the following statement during a press briefing:
I know everyone is very eager to try to understand and be able to explain what happened. We still have a large volume of data to go through, a lot of content to go through.
The events leading to the explosion began on Saturday when Livelsberger rented a Tesla in Denver through the Turo app. He traveled through Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, with his journey tracked via Tesla charging stations.
The fatal sequence started at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday when the Cybertruck first appeared at the hotel's valet area. After briefly leaving, the vehicle returned at 8:39 a.m. and exploded just 17 seconds later.
FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans emphasized that Livelsberger acted alone and was not previously known to the agency. The investigation revealed that he had legally purchased two firearms on Monday, both of which were later found severely damaged in the vehicle.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk assisted investigators by remotely unlocking the vehicle after it automatically locked during the explosion. He also provided surveillance footage showing Livelsberger at various charging stations along his route.
Personal details emerged about Livelsberger's final days. His wife reported that he had left their Colorado Springs home around Christmas following a dispute over alleged infidelity. She expressed disbelief that he would intentionally harm others.
Spencer Evans of the FBI characterized the incident in the following way:
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 was struggling with PTSD and other issues.
The New Year's Day incident at the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel involved Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty Army Green Beret, who died by suicide before his rented Tesla Cybertruck exploded. The event left seven bystanders with minor injuries and revealed a troubled veteran's final message through letters found on his phone. The investigation continues as authorities process evidence from the scene, including two phones and severely damaged weapons.
