A cybertruck exploded outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring seven others. The incident occurred at 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday, in the valet area just outside the lobby of the building.
The incident is now being investigated as possible terrorism, according to officials.
Speaking at a news conference, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that the cybertruck “pulled up to the last entrance doors of the hotel.”
“… We saw that smoke started showing from the vehicle, and then a large explosion from the truck occurred.”
The burned vehicle, which was rented via the Turo app in Colorado, contained gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars.
The cybertruck is said to have arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. It was then driven up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, before heading to the Trump International Hotel where it exploded one hour later.
The driver is yet to be formally identified, but officials say that they do know the name of the person who rented the vehicle in Colorado.
Law enforcement officials are now working to ascertain exactly how the fuel and fireworks in the vehicle were ignited.
Investigation into possible link with New Orleans terrorist attack underway
Questions have been raised as to whether or not the Trump Hotel explosion is related to an earlier confirmed terrorist attack in New Orleans.
At least 15 people are now known to have died in the Bourbon Street attack, with many more injured. The New Orleans attacker has been named as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a Texas-based Army veteran.
The deadly attack is now being investigated by the FBI as an “act of terrorism.” An ISIS flag was found in Jabbar’s vehicle, which was also rented through Turo.
“I know everybody’s interested in that word, and trying to see if we can say, ‘Hey, this is a terrorist attack.’ That is our goal, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” FBI acting special agent Jeremy Schwartz said.
“We believe this is an isolated incident. We do not believe that there’s a bunch of folks out there supporting this or helping this, and we don’t believe that there’s any other danger to the community right now.”
McMahill echoed the statement, later adding “We don’t have any indication of that (connection to ISIS) here in Las Vegas, no overt ISIS flag, as we’ve seen in New Orleans. But again, we are investigating every aspect of this.”
Tesla joins forces with investigating officials
Writing on X, Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company is investigating the incident.
“The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. Will post more information as soon as we learn anything. We’ve never seen anything like this,” Musk stated.
The company is said to be working in partnership with the authorities. It has already provided additional information such as footage from Tesla charging stations, which has enabled law enforcement to track the driver of the vehicle.
Soon after news of the incident broke, Musk issued a statement.
We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ
Musk went on to question what the Turo connection might mean in the case of the two attacks.
“Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way.”
Hotel praises response of Las Vegas Fire Department, law enforcement
Footage circulating on social media shows smoke surrounding the exterior of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. Sirens can be heard in the background of other clips shared on X, as first responders raced to the scene.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority,” read a statement from the hotel, which has 1,300 suites over 64 stories. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism.”
