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The man found inside the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump and may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the FBI.
Matthew Livelsberger, a US Army veteran from Colorado who was found dead in a car, also struggled with other family issues or grievances, FBI officials said.
Officials also stressed that the New Orleans car bombing that killed 14 people early on New Year’s Day was not linked to the Las Vegas blast.
Police say the Las Vegas shooting appears to be a “tragic suicide case”.
“There is no evidence that these two events are related,” Las Vegas FBI Agent Spencer Evans told reporters Friday as officials released new updates on the incident.
“Investigations have found, and information from the Army shows, that they may have suffered from PTSD, and we also know that there may have been other family issues or concerns in their lives that may have contributed,” Evans said. he said.
Information uncovered on Mr Livelsberger’s phone, including several texts he appears to have written, suggests the 37-year-old suffered from PTSD related to his time in combat, officials said.
His body was found inside a burning Tesla, which had exploded from fireworks that Livelsberger had bought on his way to Las Vegas from Colorado.
Livelsberger was identified through DNA obtained by authorities from a family member.
Police say it also appears he shot himself.
In digital documents obtained by police, Livelsberger also cited political grievances, calling on fellow military officers to criticize the military leadership.
In other words, the police said that they specifically wrote that the incident was not “terrorist” but “awakening”.
Mr Livelsberger was a decorated Special Forces intelligence officer serving in Germany, but was on official leave at the time of the blast.
His father told the BBC’s US partners CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.
She said she last spoke to her son at Christmas and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Mr Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend he told the Washington Post that he once told her that he suffered a severe brain injury when he was sent overseas. Alicia Arritt, a 39-year-old nurse who was in a relationship with Mr Livelsberger from 2018 to 2021, said he admitted to struggling with memory, focus and guilt over his actions in the war.
The Daily Beast reported that Mr. Livelsberger was a strong supporter of Trump. A law enforcement official who spoke with the Livelsberger family told reporters that they voted for Trump in the November election.
Police were able to track his movements in the days leading up to the crash thanks to surveillance cameras and other items found in the Tesla car itself.
He said Livelsberger rented a Tesla Cybertruck from a mobile app called Turo in Colorado on Dec. 28, and drove it more than 800 miles to Las Vegas. He also legally purchased two guns at the time, which were found in the car.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill and the Las Vegas Police Department said authorities did not know why Livelsberger chose the location outside the Trump Hotel to detonate, but added that evidence indicated it was one of several locations he considered.
7 people were slightly injured in the explosion. Both were released from the hospital, Sheriff McMahill said.
He added that the investigation is ongoing, and that police are “just scratching the surface” of what they found on the man’s equipment.
If you are concerned about any of the information in this article you can contact the BBC Action Line. Help and support outside the UK can be found at Befrienders Worldwide or you can call the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988.
