Details of the New Year's Day bombing at the Trump Hotel

A cyber truck exploded near President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel early on New Year's Day. The suspect in the Tesla died and seven bystanders were injured. Since then, officials have launched an intensive investigation into possible terrorism.

Cybertruck: Details on the New Year's Day bombing at the Trump hotel — (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Police reveal details of Cybertruck explosion

According to Associated Pressinvestigators discovered fireworks mortars and camp fuel canisters stuffed into the back of the Cybertruck. Officials with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department confirmed the number of people who passed away and were injured. However, as of late Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still working to remove the body from the vehicle and begin processing the evidence inside.

Jeremy Schwartz of the FBI's Las Vegas office said the main goal was to properly identify the subject. After that, the next priority was to determine whether the explosion was an act of terrorism or not.

As of Wednesday night, authorities have the identity of the person who rented the Cybertruck in Colorado through the Turo app. In a statement, Turo said it was cooperating with authorities. However, local Sheriff Kevin McMahill said they are not releasing the tenant's name until it is confirmed that it is the same person who died in the explosion.

“We do not believe that any of the tenants involved in the Las Vegas attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat,” the statement said.

At an afternoon press conference, video was shown showing a jumble of charred firework mortars, canisters and other explosive devices crammed into the back of a pickup truck. The truck's bed walls were still intact because the blast shot straight up instead of sideways.

As Tesla CEO, Elon Musk assisted in the investigation

Tesla CEO Elon Musk helped the investigation by sharing videos taken at the company's charging stations. McMahill said the footage helped authorities trace the vehicle's journey and determine that it arrived in Las Vegas at about 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 1. An hour later, the dead victim drove into the Trump International Hotel in a Cybertruck. It sat there for 15 to 20 seconds before exploding.

Musk clarified Wednesday afternoon that the explosion was not caused by a Cybertruck malfunction. Earlier in the day, he had assured his supporters that his senior team was investigating and that the company had “never seen anything like this”.

“…We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of a rented Cybertruck, and is not related to the vehicle itself. All telemetry from the vehicle at the time of the explosion was positive,” he wrote on X (official Twitter).

We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of a rented Cybertruck, and is not related to the vehicle itself.

All vehicle telemetry readings were positive at the time of the explosion. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025

For context, Musk has recently become a member of Trump's inner circle. Neither Trump nor Musk were in Las Vegas at their hotel early Wednesday. The two had attended Trump's New Year's Eve party at a Trump estate in South Florida. Musk spent about $250 million during the presidential campaign to support the former president. He was at Trump's resort on election night and has been a frequent guest there. Trump has tapped Musk, the world's richest man, to co-lead a new effort to find ways to reduce the size and spending of government.

Why does this context matter? Sheriff McMahill said they are looking into any leads.

“This is a Tesla truck, and we know that Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it's Trump Tower,” McMahill said when asked by reporters about possible political connections. “So there are obvious things to be concerned about and we're continuing to look at that.”

Witness Ana Bruce, who was visiting Las Vegas from Brazil, said she heard three explosions. “The first one we saw fire, the second one I think was a battery or something like that, and the third one was the big one that was smoking all over the area and that was when everyone was told to evacuate and stay away.”.