Last updated on January 20th, 2025 at 11:32 pm
UPDATE: From reporting by The New York Times: Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said during a news conference that the authorities “believe this to be an isolated incident,” but have not yet ruled out a connection to the Wednesday morning attack in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people.
Sheriff McMahill said the authorities had found gas canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars in the back of the truck. It was unclear how they had been ignited, Sheriff McMahill said.
“There is no further threat to the community,” Sheriff McMahill said. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no indication that the explosion was connected to ISIS, which President Biden said had inspired the New Orleans attack, but the investigation remains ongoing, he said.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Jeremy Schwartz, the acting F.B.I. special agent in charge in Las Vegas, said the agency is investigating whether the explosion “was an act of terrorism or not.”
“I know everybody’s interested in that word and trying to see if we can say, ‘Hey this is a terrorist attack,’ ” Mr. Schwartz said. “That is our goal, and that’s what we’re trying to do”
The Las Vegas Police Department received a report of an explosion at the Trump Hotel at about 8:40 a.m. local time.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said in a statement on X that “the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck,” and said the vehicle was functioning properly.
Police were told that a 2024 Cybertruck “pulled up to the last entrance doors of the hotel,” Sheriff McMahill said earlier, at a news conference.
The driver was the only person in the truck, Mr. McMahill said, and had been killed inside the vehicle. At least seven others were reported to have sustained minor injuries.
The person’s body remained in the truck on Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff McMahill said, and the authorities were working on identification.
The authorities said that the truck had been rented in Colorado using Turo, the same car rental app used in the New Orleans attack. The authorities had been able to trace the car back to Colorado using video footage captured at charging stations, Sheriff McMahill said.
Sheriff McMahill said the authorities have identified the person who rented the truck but are not releasing their name.
End of update
Law enforcement officials are investigating a Cybertuck explosion in front of Trump tower in Las Vegas.
Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, posted about it on X.
At this point the only details available as far as casualties has been reported as one person died and 7 others were injured by the explosion.
Police are unsure at this time if the explosion was intentional or accidental after police found fireworks in the vehicle.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.