Person in exploded Cybertruck believed to be elite soldier

The man who drove the rented Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas was a US special forces officer, officials have confirmed.

Las Vegas police have identified Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, as the man who rented the car and drove it from Colorado to Las Vegas.

Authorities say they are certain she was found dead in the car after the explosion but are waiting to confirm this through DNA evidence.

The body in the car was burned beyond recognition and was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday.

Seven people were injured when the car – filled with petrol cans and fire extinguishers – exploded on New Year’s Day. Officials said all injuries were minor.

The Cybertruck arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the blast, police said. Parked in front of the hotel near the glass door, the car started smoking, then exploded.

Officials say they still don’t know the cause of the accident.

“I’m comfortable calling it a suicide bombing that happened too soon,” Sheriff McMahill said at a news conference Thursday.

The sheriff said investigators found a military ID, passport, two automatic rifles, a firecracker, an iPhone, a smart watch and several credit cards in Livelsberger’s name in the burning car.

Mr McMahill said he found two tattoos on the driver’s remains that matched Livelsberger’s.

The Colorado Springs native rented a Cybertruck on December 28 in Denver.

Police were able to track his movements using several photos on a drive from Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the only one who saw her driving the car.

McMahill said there are several similarities — but no definite connection — between the suspects in the Las Vegas shooting and the New Orleans car bombing that left 14 dead, which happened on New Year’s Day.

All of the suspects served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, although there is no record of whether they served in the same unit or were there at the same time. Both served in Afghanistan in 2009, but there is no evidence that they were in the same area or unit.

Both also used the rental company Tire for the cars involved in the incident, McMahill said.

“We don’t believe there is any wrongdoing in this case or anyone associated with him here in Las Vegas,” he said.

Livelsberger had many years of experience with the US military, having served in the Army and National Guard. He was a Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant.

He was serving in Germany but on official leave at the time.

Livelsberger’s father told BBC CBS that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

He said he last spoke to his son at Christmas and everything seemed fine.