A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1, 2025, killing one person and injuring seven others, according to authorities.
The incident, which unfolded in front of the hotel’s glass entrance, prompted an investigation by the FBI and local law enforcement to determine whether it was an act of terrorism.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill described the scene, saying the truck had stopped at the entrance moments before a “large explosion.” Surveillance footage captured the Cybertruck bursting into flames, followed by smaller detonations resembling fireworks.
The vehicle’s cargo included gasoline, camping fuel canisters, and large firework mortars, McMahill revealed during a press briefing. He noted that the Cybertruck’s design likely minimized damage, directing much of the blast upward. Despite the intensity of the explosion, the hotel’s glass doors remained intact.
The driver, the sole fatality, has not yet been publicly identified. Seven others sustained minor injuries, and the hotel was evacuated as a precaution.
FBI Investigates Potential Terror Links
President Joe Biden acknowledged the possibility of a connection between the Las Vegas explosion and a deadly attack earlier in New Orleans, where a truck driven into a crowd killed 15 people. However, he stressed that investigators had found no evidence linking the two incidents so far.
FBI agent Jeremy Schwartz described the Las Vegas blast as an “isolated incident” but confirmed that a joint terrorism task force is probing the event to identify the suspect and determine whether it qualifies as terrorism.
Concerns Over Trump-Musk Connection
The explosion raised questions due to the vehicle’s manufacturer, Tesla, and its ties to President-elect Donald Trump. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, who supported Trump’s presidential bid and was named to lead a government spending commission, dismissed suggestions of a vehicle malfunction. Musk stated on his social media platform X, “This was unrelated to the vehicle itself. The Tesla team is fully investigating the matter.”
McMahill acknowledged the potential implications of the Trump-Musk connection, saying, “It’s a Tesla truck, it’s the Trump Tower—there are things to be concerned about, and we are continuing to investigate those angles.”
Rental App Under Scrutiny
Authorities revealed that the Cybertruck had been rented in Colorado through the car-sharing app Turo—the same platform used to rent the vehicle involved in the New Orleans attack. While this overlap is being investigated, McMahill described it as a “coincidence that cannot be ignored.”
Turo, a popular peer-to-peer car rental service, stated that neither of the renters involved in the incidents had criminal records. The company is cooperating with law enforcement to assist in the ongoing investigations.
With heightened scrutiny over potential domestic threats, authorities have assured the public that there is no ongoing danger, emphasizing that investigations are being conducted with urgency to uncover the motives behind both incidents.
