One person is dead and seven are injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, authorities said Wednesday.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department sheriff, Kevin McMahill, said at a press conference that a person inside the vehicle was killed and that the other injuries had been reported to him as “minor.” He said police found gasoline canisters and fireworks in the car. He said the incident didn’t appear to pose any further threat to the community.
“We do know who rented the truck,” McMahill said. “We are looking at that individual, but I am not prepared to release the name of any of the individuals that we are looking at, at least until next of kin is notified and we have a 100% identification.”
Jeremy Schwartz, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said his firm was seeking to “determine whether or not this is an act of terrorism. “
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the government was investigating to determine whether there is a link between the Las Vegas explosion and the New Orleans attack that left at least 15 people dead, the attacker added Wednesday morning.
McMahill said the Cybertruck and New Orleans attack vehicle had been rented from the Turo Automobile Exchange application.
In a statement shared on its website on Wednesday, Turo confirmed that both vehicles were rented through its service.
“Our trusted and security team is actively participating with the government in charge of enforcing the law to share any data that may be useful for your investigations,” he said.
At a press conference, McMahill described the scene of the incident.
“At 8:40 a. m. de Las Vegas, we got a report of an explosion and chimney at Trump Towers,” McMahill said. “We were told that a cybertruck in 2024 stopped at the front of the hotel, and in fact, I can tell them that it stopped all the front doors of the hotel.
McMahill said the Cybertruck’s shipping bed contained fuel cans, fuel canisters and “large mortar and mortar fireworks. “
“The fact that it was a Cybertruck limited the pain that occurred inside the valet because he passed the maximum of the explosion through the truck and he passed out,” McMahill said.
McMahill also thanked Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his role in the investigation, adding that he collected video footage of Tesla.
McMahill said the Trump Hotel would remain closed for the time being. He said the “vast majority” of people staying at the Trump Hotel had moved into the Resorts World Las Vegas hotel.
January 3, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect an explanation of the Government according to which the 15 -dead report in the past reported that the attack on New Orleans included the attacker.
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