The highly decorated US Army Green Beret died in an alleged suicide before the blast near a Trump hotel
The suspect in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion on New Year’s Day, identified as Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger, was a veteran US special forces operative who not only deployed to Afghanistan twice but also served in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported, citing the US Army.
The blast outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday left seven people with minor injuries. Livelsberger died at the scene from an allegedly self-inflicted gunshot wound before the truck exploded, according to Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
The US Army confirmed on Thursday that Livelsberger enlisted in 2006 and had served with the 10th Special Forces Group based in Stuttgart, Germany, since 2012. His military career included multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo, earning him numerous awards, including five Bronze Stars.
The US Army also confirmed, according to AP, that Livelsberger was “serving in Ukraine” at some point, although the exact timing is unclear.
“US Army Special Operations Command is cooperating fully with federal and state law enforcement agencies, but as a matter of policy, we will not comment on ongoing investigations,” the US Army stated.
Law enforcement officials indicated that Livelsberger had packed the rented Tesla Cybertruck with fireworks, camping fuel, and other explosive materials. Despite the explosion’s proximity to the Trump hotel, the sheriff noted there is no conclusive evidence of political or ideological motives.
In a photo posted by his wife on Facebook in 2016, Livelsberger is seen wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Ukrainian coat of arms and a nationalist slogan. In a comment on LinkedIn, he responded to an offer for work in Ukraine, stating that he knew a “top” special forces medical sergeant who had been “looking for just this opportunity.”
Livelsberger was on leave from his assignment in Germany during the incident. His wife reportedly told investigators that he had been absent from their Colorado Springs home following an argument about infidelity over the holidays.
As a Green Beret, Livelsberger was based at Fort Liberty (formerly known as Fort Bragg) in North Carolina. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who killed 14 people in a vehicle attack in New Orleans on Wednesday morning, was also stationed at Fort Liberty and had deployed to Afghanistan. The Army is currently investigating whether the two men knew each other.
