Man who rented Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas a Green Beret, official says

WASHINGTON — The Tesla truck that exploded in Las Vegas Wednesday, killing its sole occupant, was rented by a man who was an active-duty member of the Army’s elite Special Forces, according to the Army.

Matthew Livelsberger, who died Wednesday according to the Army, was an active-duty Green Beret and had served in the Army for 19 years. Green Berets conduct commando-style raids to attack key enemy targets, conduct reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines and train foreign militaries.

Livelsberger had been a soldier during the peak of U.S. combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and had numerous combat deployments, according to the Army.

Livelsberger was a highly decorated combat soldier who was awarded the Bronze Star with valor among several commendations.

He had been deployed to Afghanistan from September 2017 to April 2018. He also deployed to Ukraine and the Republics of Congo and Georgia.

The vehicle was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. PT, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill previously said during a news conference. The driver of the vehicle drove the vehicle up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before pulling in front of the Trump hotel around 8:40 a.m.

The vehicle sat there about 15 seconds before the explosion went off, McMahill said. Police later discovered gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars in the back of the vehicle. The sole individual in the truck died and seven other people were injured.

The explosion occurred hours after the deadly attack involving a truck in New Orleans on New Year's Day. On Thursday, FBI officials said the New Orleans attack appeared to be the work of a lone wolf.

President Joe Biden previously said federal authorities are investigating whether there may be a link between the two attacks.

First unveiled in 2019, the Cybertruck is a battery-powered EV and Tesla’s first truck. The vehicle gained attention for its post-apocalyptic styling. It was marketed as having a "bullet tough" stainless-steel frame and "basically rock-proof" armored glass, according to previous statements from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Livelsberger enlisted as a Special Forces candidate in January 2006 and served in the active duty force until March 2011, according to the Army. He then joined the National Guard and Army Reserve from 2011 until December 2012. At that point, he rejoined the active-duty Army as a Special Operations solider.

The Army is cooperating with federal and state investigators, the Army said in a statement.

Jeremy Schwartz, acting Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in Las Vegas, said the incident at the Trump hotel is being investigated through the bureau’s joint terrorism task force.

Turo confirmed Wednesday that the vehicles involved in the Las Vegas explosion and New Orleans attack were rented from the peer-to-peer car rental service.

(This story has been updated to add new information and to correct a misspelling/typo.)

Contributing: John Bacon,Josh Meyer, Trevor Hughes, Bailey Schulz and Eve Chen USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man who rented Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas a Green Beret