A Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas left one person dead and is now being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, according to authorities.
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Authorities in Las Vegas are investigating a deadly incident along the city’s famed Strip.
The Jan. 1 event, which killed one and minorly injured seven bystanders, involved an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck and occurred outside the entrance of the Trump International Hotel, according to authorities.
“We were told that a 2024 Cybertruck pulled up to the front of the hotel, and, in fact, I can tell you it pulled right up to the glass entrance doors of the hotel,” Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. “We saw smoke start showing from the vehicle, and then an explosion from the truck occurs.”
Footage of the car fire shared to X (formerly Twitter) shows the truck engulfed in flames while firework-like sounds are heard following multiple explosions.
Though a motive has not been determined, law enforcement has deemed the explosion to be intentional and is investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack, according to NBC News.
Officials don’t currently believe the Cybertruck explosion outside of the Trump International Hotel—which is owned by the Trump Organization and American businessman Phil Ruffin—is connected to the deadly attack that occurred earlier in the day in New Orleans. In that instance, a man, who was in possession of an ISIS flag and explosives, drove into a crowd on the city’s famed Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.
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The trucks used in both incidents, however, were rented from the same company.
Following the deadly event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the electric car company investigated the situation and that the explosion was not a result of a faulty vehicle.
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck,” he wrote in a post to X, “and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
President-elect Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump also shared a statement from the Trump Organization, acknowledging the events and thanking law enforcement for their work.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority,” the statement posted X read. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism.”
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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