Police have released a series of photographs of the interior of the Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, revealing an arsenal of explosives.
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck, owned by Elon Musk, who has not yet been formally identified, was killed in the explosion and seven members of the public were injured.
Hours earlier, in New Orleans, Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, drove an electric vehicle into a crowd, killing 15 pedestrians and injuring dozens more.
Law enforcement sources have since revealed that the cars used in both attacks were rented through Turo and that both were electric vehicles, raising concerns that they are linked.
Police revealed on Wednesday afternoon that they are currently investigating possible links and have not ruled anything out yet.
‘Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know,’ he said. “We are absolutely investigating any connection to New Orleans.”
In an explosive press conference, officials investigating the incident revealed that the Cybertruck was rented from Turo in Colorado and driven across the border into Nevada at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The explosion occurred just an hour later.
Officials have also considered that the driver may have intentionally chosen to use a car owned by Musk to send a message, given Musk’s newfound friendship with President-elect Donald Trump.
“It’s a Tesla truck, we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump and it’s the Trump hotel, so obviously there’s something to look at,” he said.
Police have released a series of photographs of the interior of the Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, revealing an arsenal of explosives.
There were fireworks, gasoline tanks, and camping fuel in the back of the car and were probably connected to a driver-controlled detonation system.
There were fireworks, gasoline tanks, and camping fuel in the back of the car and were probably connected to a driver-controlled detonation system.
But the driver’s decision to send a message using the Cybertruck may have actually been a small silver lining to the tragedy. Authorities echoed a comment made today by Musk that the structure of the Cybertruck contained the explosives.
“The fact that it was a Cybertruck really limited the damage,” police said.
‘It caused most of the damage to increase rather than decrease. The glass doors of the Trump Hotel were not even broken by that explosion.
Wednesday’s Cybertruck explosion is “probably an act of terrorism,” Musk previously said, and occurred just hours after the New Orleans tragedy that left 15 people dead.
The $80,000 car was seen burning in front of the hotel’s revolving doors, killing one person and injuring seven around 9 a.m., according to Las Vegas police.
On Wednesday afternoon, Musk revealed that the explosion was caused by “a bomb carried on the bed of the rented Cybertruck” or “very large fireworks.”
He said the explosion was not caused by or related to the vehicle itself, and it is understood the unnamed driver had rented the truck using Turo.
“Authorities currently believe it was most likely intentional,” he added.
‘Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomber in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Maybe they are linked in some way.
A Cybertruck, made by Trump ally Elon Musk’s Tesla company, was seen on fire outside the revolving doors of the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday.
A source told the network that authorities obtained CCTV footage showing the Cybertruck passed the hotel an hour earlier and returned to the parking lot seconds before the explosion.
Musk said that “Tesla vehicles transmit their health status continuously,” meaning his team was able to check if there were any problems with the car’s mechanics before the explosion.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill had previously revealed that police are treating the explosion as an act of terror.
Hours earlier, in New Orleans, Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, drove an electric vehicle into a crowd, killing 15 pedestrians and injuring dozens more.
He said: “With the event that occurred (in New Orleans), and the victims there, and the additional improvised explosive devices, as you can imagine, with an explosion here on our iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking every precaution that we must take to keep the community safe.”
The FBI is also investigating the Las Vegas event, while Musk confirmed that his company is investigating the fatal event.
Musk, who has become a close friend of the incoming president, wrote: “The entire senior team at Tesla is investigating this matter right now. We have never seen anything like this.
Surveillance footage showed the truck parked outside the main entrance, apparently without any problems. Seconds later, the entire car explodes, its roof exploding first before the truck goes flying.
“The Cybertruck is the worst possible choice as a car bomb, as its stainless steel armor will contain the explosion better than any other commercial vehicle.”
The official cause of the explosion and fire is currently unknown, but an unnamed official briefed on the incident said ABC News It had a fireworks-style mortar charge inside the vehicle.
Police are working to determine whether the driver, who died, intentionally detonated the explosives.
surveillance images He showed the truck parked outside the main entrance. Seconds later, the entire car exploded, and the roof was the first to burn.
The debris was smoking as it bounced off the pavement and sparks that looked like fireworks could be seen illuminating the black cloud of smoke emitted by the vehicle.
After the explosion, large orange flames were seen trailing through the windows of the Cybertruck before several more explosive sounds were heard.
Fire alarms rang out in the luxury building, where penthouse suites can cost up to $2,600 a night. It is unclear if hotel guests were evacuated.
The explosion left a large cloud of smoke rising from the Trump Hotel on Fashion Show Drive, alarming locals and tourists.
Tesla Cybertrucks are the third best-selling electric vehicle in the US, with around 27,185 sold as of October 2024.
The oddly shaped vehicles have been controversial since their introduction in 2019; However, the company continues to boast about long waiting lists for cars.
The ordeal in Las Vegas came just hours after a deranged American veteran plowed his rented Ford pickup truck into revelers celebrating New Year’s in New Orleans.
The Texas-born terrorist had an ISIS flag hanging on the back of the vehicle when he drove into the crowd, killing at least 15 people.
The driver got out and started firing a gun. Investigators later added that they found what appeared to be improvised explosives at the crash site that did not detonate.
The FBI said they do not believe the terrorist acted alone and were initially investigating surveillance footage that captured three men and a woman planting one of multiple improvised explosive devices in the area.
The hotel, owned by the Trump family, was seen with a large cloud of smoke nearby. The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time.
The explosion left a large cloud of smoke rising from the Trump Hotel on Fashion Show Drive around 9 a.m.
One person staying at the Trump hotel today, Stephen Felando, heard the “massive explosion” as it happened.
“Something important just exploded here,” he said in a x video. “Something just exploded in the valet section… I don’t know what happened, but something just exploded.”
Felando said the windows “rattled” and shook.
DailyMail.com attempted to contact the Las Vegas Police Department.
Eric Trump made a statement on social media following the horrific explosion, writing: “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
“We extend our sincere thanks to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local authorities for their quick response and professionalism.”