Law enforcement has painted a picture of the driver who died in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas as a decorated U.S. Army serviceman with no history of disciplinary actions.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, was an active-duty Army member who was on leave stateside from an overseas assignment, according to three officials speaking on anonymity to the Associated Press.
His LinkedIn profile shows that he started a new role three months ago as a remote and autonomous systems manager in a 19-year Army career that began in 2006 as a communications specialist.
His profile said he was a member of the 10th Special Forces for one year ending in November 2024 and two officials confirmed that he recently was deployed in Europe but was stateside for the holiday season, the Wall Street Journal reported.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2019 from Norwich University, a private military college in Vermont.
He was awarded the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award in 2016 and the Bronze Star with valor.
Livelsberger’s turn as a terrorist has left Army officials baffled, who’ve said he has no previous disciplinarian issues, and is generally described by his colleagues as a “good solider,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Livelsberger, who was from Colorado Springs, died in a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel, owned by President-elect Donald Trump.
Video footage shows a Tesla Cybertruck erupt into flames while parked in the valet area outside the building
Livelsberger was killed in the explosion and seven other people suffered minor injuries.
Authorities are investigating any possible ties to Livelsberger and U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who killed 14 people after he rammed a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Jabbar, like Livelsberger, also spent time at Fort Bragg but there is no evidence of an overlap in their assignments there according to the Associated Press.
Both men utilized trucks rented through the ride-share app, Turo.
While the Federal Bureau of Investigation initially said the terrorist attack in New Orleans involved multiple accomplices, investigators now say they “do not have evidence” right now that the two New Year’s terror attacks are linked.
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