US Military Veteran Suspected in Tesla Cybertruck Explosion
A veteran of US special forces, Alan Livelsberger, is suspected of being involved in the January 1, 2025, explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas. According to the US Army, Livelsberger had a military career spanning multiple deployments, including in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and several other countries.
The explosion, which occurred in front of the Trump International Hotel, left seven people lightly injured, and Livelsberger was found dead at the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, before the Cybertruck exploded, according to Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
The US Army confirmed that Livelsberger enlisted in 2006 and served in the 10th Special Forces Group in Stuttgart since 2012. His military career included multiple deployments, earning him numerous awards, including five Bronze Stars.
The US Army also confirmed, through AP, that Livelsberger served in Ukraine, although the exact time period is unclear.
“The US Army’s Special Operations Command is fully cooperating with federal and local law enforcement agencies, but generally does not comment on ongoing investigations” the Army stated.
Law enforcement officials said Livelsberger had loaded the rented Tesla Cybertruck with fireworks, camping fuel, and other explosive materials. Despite the proximity of the explosion to the Trump Hotel, the sheriff stated that there is no conclusive evidence of political or ideological motives.
A 2016 Facebook post by Livelsberger’s wife shows him wearing a T-shirt with a Ukrainian emblem and a nationalist slogan. In a LinkedIn comment, he responded to a job offer in Ukraine, stating that he knew a “top-ranked Special Forces medic” looking for the same opportunity.
Livelsberger was on leave from his deployment in Germany at the time of the incident. His wife reported to investigators that the couple had a disagreement over infidelity and that Livelsberger did not spend the holidays with her in their shared home in Colorado Springs.
As a Green Beret, Livelsberger was stationed at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who killed 14 people in a car attack in New Orleans on the same morning, was also stationed at Fort Liberty and had previously served in Afghanistan. The US Army is currently investigating whether the two men knew each other.