A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas this morning, killing the driver and injuring seven people who were in the vicinity.
Drone footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department taken in aftermath of the explosion shows charred gasoline cannisters, camp fuel cannisters, and large firework mortars in the rear of the Tesla EV.
“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. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted today.
Rear of the Cybertruck after the explosion (Credit: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department )
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a Wednesday evening press briefing that the authorities are not yet confirming the identity of the driver because he “cannot do that with 100% certainty of who the individual is.”
The Cybertruck was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas this morning. Las Vegas PD traced it through the Tesla charging network with the help of Musk, McMahill said.
Footage of the explosion from hotel surveillance shows the rear of the Cybertruck exploding in a large fireball. The sheriff said the EV’s construction helped limit the damage, noting that the side panels were intact following the explosion, as were the glass doors on the front of Trump Tower.
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“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards,” Musk said on X.
The explosion happened hours after a man killed at least 15 people in New Orleans by driving his truck into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Street. McMahill and Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said they were taking that into consideration but were not prepared to say the Cybertruck explosion is a terrorist attack.
“We believe this is an isolated incident,” Agent Schwartz said. “We do not believe that there is…any other danger to the community right now.”
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In New Orleans, the driver reportedly had an ISIS flag in the truck, but there were no “overt” symbols of terrorism on the Cybertruck, McMahill said. “We are investigating every aspect of this, and if that comes to light, we’ll certainly update you.”
On X, Musk was less hesitant: “Appears likely to be an act of terrorism,” he wrote.
McMahill noted the relationship between Musk and Donald Trump and the fact that a Tesla truck exploded outside one of the president-elect’s properties. “There’s obviously things to be concerned about there and stuff we continue to look at,” he said.
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About Chloe Albanesius
Executive Editor for News
