Investigators: Soldier used AI to plan Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion
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- Jan 08, 2025
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Jan. 7, 2025 | Las Vegas Metro police and federal partners provide updates to the Cybertruck explosion at the Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
By: Video evidence of Livelsberger staging his attack
Police showed video of Livelsberger pouring racing fuel in the back of his Cybertruck where investigators said there was more than 60 pounds of explosive material.
The video shows the fuel leaking from the truck, all the way from the parking lot where he poured it to the Trump Hotel valet.
Koren said Livelsberger's hands were on the steering wheel when he entered the valet area, providing that as further evidence the truck was not in self-driving mode.
A frame-by-frame analysis of the video shows the racing fuel ignited first.
Physical evidence recovered
Investigators said they found three .50 caliber casings that were consistent with the ballistic evidence that Livelsberger used a firearm to commit suicide directly prior to the explosion.
"Our lab did do some tests and did confirm the presence of ammonium nitrate and aluminum," Koren said. "Financial records, his journal entries, a variety of other things confirm he purchased what he believed was Tannerite but it was a different form of exploding targets that has ammonium nitrate and aluminum in it, which is one type of explosives that he had."
Digital forensics
Evidence recovered on one of Livelsberger's phones revealed he initially planned to carry out his bombing at the glass skywalk of the Grand Canyon. Investigators do not know why he changed his mind to come to Las Vegas, or why he chose the Trump hotel specifically.
Livelsberger's note titled "surveillance log" â which Metro describe more as a journal of actives â show a timeline of his trip from Colorado to Las Vegas.
Dec. 27 purchased firearms (Desert Eagle and AR pistol)
Dec. 28 picked up the Cybertruck and purchased the exploding targets
Dec. 29 purchasing camping gear and "white gas, which we believe is the fuel"
Dec. 31 "he talks about reaching a decision point and he talks about committing to the Grand Canyon, that he plans to conduct surveillance at the glass walkway and identifying a launch route."
McMahill said investigators are still trying to access another recovered phone and laptop.Digital forensics from the Tesla havenât revealed much more than what investigators previously uncovered. A damaged USB drive was pulled from the truck and contained partial videos like the ones investigators showed last week.
Tesla helped police recover a proprietary SDMI chip which Koren said contained only mechanical data. They also recovered crash data that wasnât helpful because the explosion didnât trigger a crash, Koren said.
Koren also addressed concerns that investigators havenât recovered video from inside the truckâs cabin.
He explained that, according to Tesla, the in-cabin video would only record if the truck was in full self-driving mode, and it does not save the data.
Livelsberger's manifesto
Police said the six-page âmanifestoâ recovered from Livelsbergerâs phone outlines a litany of political, social and cultural grievances and shows a âconstant evolutionâ of his plans.
âHe also says he has graphic encounters from his military experience that replay in his head over and over and that now he feels like heâs a shell of a human being with nothing to live for," Koren said.
Koren noted Livelsberger talked about his intent to âmake this as public as possibleâ but expressed fear of being labeled a terrorist.
He wrote that âhe had no intent on killing anyone besides himself,â Koren said.
Livelsberger was the only person killed in the blast, though seven bystanders were injured. At last check, McMahill said all injured parties had been released from the hospital.
Investigators also noted Livelsberger mentioned âbeing super high on weed and drinking,â which they are still working to confirm.
ATF breaks down the explosion
The ATFâs analysis has revealed, at minimum, 60.2 pounds of explosive weight was detonated in the vehicle.
As to how that detonation occurred â thatâs still a focus of their investigation, said Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the bureauâs San Francisco Field Division.
âThe initiating flame to these explosives could have been from several possible sources and cannot be confirmed or eliminated at this point in the investigation,â Cooper said.
Cooper laid out the number of ways the explosives could have been ignited. Muzzle flash may have been enough to do it, or Livelsberger could have lit a flame before firing his gun. Thereâs also the matter of a âhobby fuseâ strung from the front of the car to the back.
Cooper said theyâre not ruling out the possibility that an electrical short in the Tesla couldâve been the source of the ignition. He also pointed out some evidence that may contradict Livelsbergerâs claim that he only wanted to hurt himself.
Investigators found evidence of 75 pounds of purchased birdshot were part of the materials in the truck, which Cooper said indicates as âan attempt to weaponize the device over and above the explosive and incendiary effects.â
âSo we do know, as a matter of fact, that the result of this explosion could be much greater,â Cooper said.
This story was originally published by Christian Hudspeth and KTNV Staff at Scripps News Las Vegas.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Copyright 2025 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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