E-Paper
Las Vegas Tesla cybertruck bomber suffered from PTSD, ‘not a terrorist’: Officials
According to the notes recovered during the probe, the bomber called his actions a wake-up call to “fellow service members, veterans, and all Americans.
Matthew Livelsberger, a decorated US Army Special Forces soldier, who is believed to have carried out the suicide bombing outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had no apparent ties to the recent New Orleans attack, investigating officials said.
In Las Vegas, “although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues,” FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans said at a press conference.
According to the notes recovered by police during the probe, Livelsberger called his actions a wake-up call to “fellow service members, veterans, and all Americans,” claiming the country was being led by “weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves,” said Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
READ | New Orleans attack: ‘Bomb materials’ at home; Shamsud-Din Jabbar was preparing for weeks. What FBI found so far?
“This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake-up call,” Livelsberger said in his notes.
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives? Why did I personally do it now? I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took," he noted.
No link between Vegas and New Orleans attack
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, shot himself in the head after detonating explosives inside a rented Tesla Cybertruck on January 1. The blast injured seven people.
The bomber served in the Army’s elite Green Berets for over 19 years. He had recently separated from his wife, which seemed to have triggered his decision to carry out the bombing.
READ | Shocking links emerge between New Orleans truck attack and Vegas Tesla blast
Notably, the explosion occurred just hours after a separate attack in New Orleans, where an army veteran, inspired by IS, drove a truck into a crowd, killing 14 people, sparking initial fears of a coordinated terrorist spree.
An investigation by the FBI and local law enforcement has since confirmed there’s no link between the two incidents.
