HT Exclusive: Turo car rental app used in New Orleans, Las Vegas attacks ‘outraged by the misuse’ of marketplace

The car rental app Turo issued a follow-up statement regarding the background checks of suspects Shamsud Din Jabbar and Matthew Livelsberger.

Two fatal tragedies shook America on New Year’s Day. With investigations still underway in the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks, officials have already unmasked the suspects in both cases by identifying Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, and Matthew Livelsberger, 37, respectively. The FBI has officially declared the former attack, in which Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into crowds on Bourbon Street, an “act of terrorism.” Despite both suspects having served at the same US Army base, and other shocking links between them, authorities believe that there was no definite link between the two New Year’s Day horrors.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the authorities believe that the use of the rental app Turo in the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks was a "coincidence." However, investigations are still underway as some shocking links between the suspects have emerged. (AP)

Nevertheless, the Turo app, a peer-to-peer car rental platform, has come into focus as both Jabbar and Livelsberger rented the vehicles (pickup truck and Tesla Cybertruck) used in the attacks via the same marketplace. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin Mc Mahill also maintained that officials deem its mutual involvement a mere “coincidence.”

Turo app spokesperson issues statement after New Orleans, Las Vegas attacks

Turo describes itself as “the world’s largest car sharing marketplace.” Its operation relies on a network of hosts across the US, UK, Canada, Australia and France. The San Francisco-based company condemned the violence that broke out in New Orleans and Las Vegas. In a previous statement shared with HindustanTimes.com, a Turo spokesperson said, “We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families. We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents.”

Directly addressing the case of both suspects falling back on their platform, the statement added, “We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”

What we know about suspects Shamdud Din Jabbar, Matthew Livelsberger

As already established by the officials, Jabbar, who was fatally shot in a firefight with police, was an Army veteran and a US citizen born in Texas. He intentionally rammed the Ford F-150 Lightning truck into a group of New Year revellers. The vehicle had a black ISIS flag affixed to the hitch.

According to US defence officials, Shamsud Din Jabbar served in the Army on active duty from 2006 to 2015. He later switched to the Army Reserve from 2015 to 2020. In 2009, he was deployed to Afghanistan and took on the duties of an administrative clerk. He was ultimately discharged in 2020 after his stint as a staff sergeant. The Georgia State University alum’s criminal records from Texas show that he was charged in 2002 with misdemeanour theft and in 2005 with driving with an invalid license, according to NBC News.

On the other hand, Matthew Livelsberger, who shot himself in the head before the Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, was a member of the elite US Army Special Forces known as the Green Berets. According to CBS News, the Colorado Springs native served multiple tours in Afghanistan. At the time of the Las Vegas explosion, Livelsberger was stationed in Germany but on approved leave.

Turo app details background checks of New Year's Day attacks' suspects

In a follow-up email statement from the company, the spokesperson reiterated the heartbreak of their app being at the centre of these horrifying incidents.

“We remain shocked and saddened by yesterday’s horrific events, and our hearts are with the victims and their families. We are outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts,” began the statement shared with HindustanTimes.com.

They divulged detailed insight: "Every Turo renter is screened through a proprietary multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process. We utilize over 50 internal and external data sources to build, maintain, and improve on our best-in-class Turo Risk Score.

“These individuals in question had valid driver’s licenses, clean background checks, one was honourably discharged from the US military, and the other was an active-duty Army green beret. They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone – including Big Rental or law enforcement.”

The statement concluded: “Turo operates a safe and trusted marketplace. As of September 30, 2024, we have collected data from over 90 million booked days, 27 million trips, 8.6 billion miles driven, through 12 years of operating history, less than 0.10% of Turo trips end with a serious incident such as a vehicle theft.”