Curious case of US Army man suspected in Trump hotel Cybertruck blast

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 3, 2025 19:58 IST

The Tesla Cybertruck blast outside Trump hotel continues to puzzle American investigators as they probe the motive that drove a serving US Special Forces agent to shoot himself dead before detonating explosives on January 1. However, new details may offer some explanations.

Local media reports suggest that Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, was going through marital upheaval and had been exhibiting a “changed” behaviour – often preferring isolation – since his return from the Middle East five years ago.

Livelsberger served in the US military in various capacities for more than 19 years, the majority of which he spent in the Special Forces (SF) unit.

As per his LinkedIn profile, Livelsberger joined the US Army in 2006. He worked as a communication specialist, operation specialist, and intelligence manager roles with a focus on technology integration.

His resume describes him as a specialist in designing, assembly, and integration of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). He also engineered and fielded the first mobile standoff hyperspectral imaging system. He also contributed to data safety manuals, his profile states.

He was recognised for inter-agency contributions that resulted in increased interoperability and efficiency while serving as the Operation sergeant.

Livelsberger graduated from Norwich University in strategic studies and defence analysis between 2016 and 2019.

He was stationed in Germany with the 10th Special Forces Group. He took an approved leave before committing the blast, which Elon Musk – the powerful aide of President-elect Donald Trump and owner of Tesla – described as a terror attack.
He had rented the Tesla Cybertruck from a vehicle rental site named Turo in Colorado on December 29, four days before the explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.

His military ID, passports and credit card were found from the explosion site.

New York Times cited his comrades saying Livelsberger, serving as a master sergeant in the Army Special Forces, was trained in manufacturing and handling explosives and could have caused more harm had he wished. Though a relief, the revelation has left investigators scratching their heads.

The explosion by a homemade bomb left seven people injured but the only person to die as a result was himself. His colleagues told NYT he had the required experience and expertise to cause more harm if he wanted. Two firearms, fireworks, a gas canister and other items were found at the explosion site, the hotel’s valet area.

The US Army man was involved in a dispute with his wife. Investigators learned through interviews that he may have gotten into a fight with his wife about relationship issues shortly before he rented the Tesla and bought the guns, reported Associated Press.

His former girlfriend, Alicia Arritt, told a local media outlet he texted her before the explosion, an unusual move since they had not spoken since their breakup in 2021. "I rented a Tesla Cybertruck, it’s the s***".

He continued texting her until New Year’s Eve, sharing photos and music videos of Tesla’s flagship vehicle.

"Livelsberger’s behavior changed in 2019 after he returned from a tour in the Middle East with a traumatic brain injury. He became isolated,” Arritt reportedly said.

A family member described him as a “100 per cent patriot” who loved the Army and Trump. “He loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American,” his uncle Dean Livelsberger told The Independent.