The investigation into the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside of Trump’s Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas is being looked at as a possible terror attack, three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News.
Two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation say it was intentional.
The incident killed one and injured seven, with the driver the person who is deceased; officials say they don’t believe the incident is connected to the vehicle ramming attack in New Orleans, two senior law enforcement officials say.
Authorities have not stated a possible motive for the Cybertruck explosion.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a top Trump adviser, insisted on X that the explosion had nothing to do with the vehicle.
"We have now confirmed that 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," Musk declared. "All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion."
The car was rented – from the same rental company that facilitated the truck used in New Orleans – to an individual they have not named publicly, two officials say.
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Car-sharing company Turo said today it is “heartbroken” by the violence in New Orleans and Las Vegas, in which rental vehicles were used.
“We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents,” the company said.
“We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat,” it said.
A county spokeswoman said in a statement that the fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8:40 a.m.
“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Las Vegas office, said at the news conference. “We don't have a lot of answers.”
Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on the social media platform X. He praised the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism.”
The 64-story hotel is just off the famed Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.
