Headline: Explosion in Tesla Cybertruck Outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas: One Dead, Seven Injured
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Early Wednesday morning, a Tesla Cybertruck rental exploded near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, leaving one person dead and seven others injured. The event has sparked an intense investigation into a potential act of terrorism.
The futuristic-looking vehicle carried fireworks mortars and propane tanks for camping in its rear, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County Fire Department members. The explosion occurred at around 8:30 AM, and the fire was swiftly extinguished.
By afternoon, authorities were still working to retrieve the body from the vehicle and begin processing evidence from inside. President Joe Biden has been briefed about the explosion.
"It’s our primary goal to ensure we have the correct identification of the subject involved in this incident," said Jeremy Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office. "After that, our second objective is to determine if this was an act of terrorism or not."
Authorities know who rented the truck via the Turo app in Colorado but have not released the name pending confirmation it matches the deceased. Video footage from Tesla charging stations, provided by CEO Elon Musk, helped trace the vehicle’s journey to Las Vegas around 7:30 AM. It then drove towards the vehicle reception area of the Trump hotel, where it stopped for 15 to 20 seconds before the explosion.
A presentation at a later press conference showed a pile of charred fireworks mortars, propane tanks, and other explosive devices mounted in the truck’s rear. The vehicle’s rear walls remained intact as the explosion was directed upwards rather than outwards.
In a Twitter post on Wednesday evening, Musk confirmed that the explosion was caused by large fireworks or a carried bomb inside the rental Cybertruck, not related to the vehicle itself. He also mentioned that his team was investigating the incident, stating they had "never seen something like this."
Musk recently became part of former President Trump’s inner circle. Neither was present in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning. Both had attended Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Musk, who spent approximately $250 million supporting Trump’s presidential campaign, has frequently been a guest at Trump’s complex. Trump named Musk, the world’s richest man, to co-lead a new initiative aimed at finding ways to reduce government size and spending.
"This is a Tesla truck, and we know Elon Musk is working with the president-elect, Trump, and this is the Trump Tower," said Las Vegas Police Chief, Kevin McMahill, addressing potential political connections. "So obviously, there are things that concern us and something we’re keeping an eye on."
The explosion happened hours after a vehicle plowed through crowds in New Orleans’ French Quarter, killing at least 15 people. That incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack, with police believing the driver did not act alone.
Turo has collaborated with authorities, stating that neither renter involved in the Las Vegas or New Orleans attacks had identified criminal backgrounds indicating a security threat.
Witness Ana Bruce, visiting from Brazil, reported hearing three explosions. "The first one was where we saw the fire, the second, I suppose, was the battery or something like that, and the third one was the biggest, that filled the whole area with smoke and was the moment when everybody was told to evacuate and move away," she said.
The 64-story hotel is located just off the Las Vegas Strip, facing the Fashion Show Las Vegas mall. Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son and vice president of Trump Organization, mentioned the fire on X (formerly Twitter), praising the quick response and professionalism of local fire and law enforcement departments.
