Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has claimed that the explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was an act of terrorism. Musk pointed out that the vehicle’s unique design helped mitigate the blast, sparing the hotel from significant damage.
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” Musk posted on X.
The explosion occurred early on Thursday morning when a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, reportedly rented through the car-sharing platform Turo, erupted in flames just outside the Trump International Hotel’s main entrance. The blast resulted in one fatality and seven injuries, according to Las Vegas police. Fortunately, the injured individuals sustained only minor injuries, and the hotel was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Investigators confirmed that the explosion originated from materials stored in the truck’s bed, including fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel. These items were connected to a detonation system that was believed to have been controlled by the driver. Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Las Vegas, confirmed that the agency’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is now leading the investigation.
The timing of the explosion has raised concerns about a potential link to a similar incident earlier in the week in New Orleans. In that case, a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens. Authorities identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen and former military IT specialist, who appeared to have been inspired by the Islamic State group.
Both the Las Vegas and New Orleans incidents involved vehicles rented through Turo, prompting the company to respond. A Turo spokesperson stated that the company is cooperating fully with law enforcement. The spokesperson also clarified that neither renter had a criminal background that would have flagged them as security threats.
As the investigation into the Las Vegas explosion continues, the authorities are examining potential connections between the two attacks and investigating whether they were coordinated.