The man who died when a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives burst into flames outside president-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel was a highly decorated US Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan, army officials say.
Two law enforcement officials identified the man inside the futuristic-looking pick-up truck as Matthew Livelsberger, 37.
Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners, the army said in a statement.
The FBI said there appeared to be no link between the incident and an attack in New Orleans in which a US Army veteran drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's Day revellers.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference that a handgun was found at the feet of the man who was identified as Livelsberger.
Officials believe he killed himself before the blast.
Inside the car, police found a passport, a military identification, multiple firearms, an iPhone, a smart watch and several credit cards.
Las Vegas Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Livelsberger rented the Tesla electric vehicle in Denver on Saturday and the sheriff displayed a map showing that it was charged in the Colorado town of Monument near Colorado Springs on Monday.
On New Year’s Eve, it was charged in Trinidad, Colorado, and three towns in New Mexico along the Interstate 40 corridor.
Then on Wednesday, the day of the explosion, it was charged in three Arizona towns before video showed it on the Las Vegas Strip about 7:30 a.m.
McMahill said investigators obtained charging station photos showing Livelsberger “was the individual that was driving this vehicle” and was alone.
“We’re not aware of any other subjects involved in this particular case,” the sheriff said.
Police said Livelsberger lawfully bought two handguns that were recovered from the Tesla on December 30.
Livelsberger served twice in Afghanistan
Livelsberger had served in the army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the army said.
He was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valour device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with Valour.
When he died, Livelsberger was on approved leave from Germany, where he was serving with the 10th Special Forces Group, according to the statement.
The FBI said on Thursday in a post on X that it was "conducting law enforcement activity" at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday's explosion but provided no other details.
The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans's famed French Quarter early on New Year's Day, killing at least 14 people before being shot to death by police.
Both men spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple army special operations units.
However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.
Both served in Afghanistan in 2009, but police said there was no evidence they were in the same province, location or unit.
They both used rental company Turo to rent the vehicles involved.
The New Orleans crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack.
The FBI said on Thursday that they believe Jabbar acted alone, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others.
Livelsberger 'thought Trump was the greatest thing'
Livelsberger was also a supporter of the president-elect throughout the Republican's political career, an anonymous family member told Reuters.
"He thought Trump was the greatest thing in the world," the man said.
Livelsberger did not appear to have had a criminal record, Las Vegas Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said.
He has been linked to addresses in Colorado Springs since 2013.
