Cybertruck explodes at Trump Hotel in Las Vegas
A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel on Jan. 1. The driver, Matthew Livelsberger, 37, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the vehicle was immersed in flames and injured seven bystanders. The explosion was caused by fireworks, camping fuel and gas tanks detonated using either a car bomb or an improvised explosive device. Livelsberger was an active-duty Green Beret and was on leave from Germany at the time of the explosion.
Earlier that morning, a Ford pickup truck drove into a crowded street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others. It is not believed that there is a direct connection between the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks. However, both Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar served in the military, and were deployed at multiple military bases in North Carolina and Afghanistan at the same time. Both vehicles were rented through a vehicle sharing app called the Turo. The app’s company stated that neither had a criminal background, or they would have been flagged. The authorities believe these connections are coincidental.
Initially, law enforcement could not confirm the identity of the driver as the body was “burnt beyond recognition.” However, authorities found multiple IDs, a passport and military ID card inside the Cybertruck. After the explosion, Livelsberger’s phone was recovered and notes claiming that the U.S. “heading toward collapse” were found. The note also contained information on Livelsberger’s motive as it contained: “I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took,” according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department press conference. Another note contended that it was not a terrorist attack and instead a “wakeup call.” “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. “What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?” the note said.
Livelsberger lived with his wife and daughter in Colorado Springs and claimed that he was driving to the Grand Canyon before the explosion. Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend, made a statement on his behavior shift in 2019 after he returned from deployment with a traumatic brain injury. He displayed depressive symptoms that went untreated as he claims it is not “acceptable to seek treatment when someone is in special forces.” The special force agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas field office, Spencer Evans said it was determined that Livelsberger was expected to have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Earlier that morning, a Ford pickup truck drove into a crowded street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others. It is not believed that there is a direct connection between the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks. However, both Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the driver of the New Orleans attack, served in the military, and were deployed at multiple military bases in North Carolina and Afghanistan at the same time. Both vehicles were rented through a vehicle sharing app called the Turo. The app’s company stated that neither had a criminal background, or they would have been flagged. The authorities believe these connections are coincidental.
During Livelsberger’s investigation, it was discovered that he used ChatGPT to help him plan the attack and build explosives. His searches included how to put together an explosive, how fast a round would need to be fired for the explosive to ignite, the laws he would need to go around to get the materials and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona. The information Livelsberger received when asking the chatbot has not been discovered. The sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Kevin McMahill, stated that this was the first incident he has seen of this type with the use of ChatGPT.
OpenAI has stated that they are dedicated to seeing the AI tools used “responsibly” and that the information ChatGPT responded with was already publicly available on the internet. The design also provided warnings against “harmful or illegal activities.” The AI platform is committed to working with law enforcement and supporting the investigation.
