A soldier who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas left notes saying the New Year’s Day explosion was a stunt to serve as a “wake-up call” for the country’s ills, investigators have said.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, also wrote in notes left on his phone that he needed to “cleanse” his mind “of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took”.
Livelsberger, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, shot himself before the explosion.
He had served in the Army since 2006 and was deployed twice to Afghanistan.
He wrote in one letter: “This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake-up 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 letters covered a range of topics including political grievances, societal problems and both domestic and international issues, including the war in Ukraine. He said in one letter that the US was “terminally ill and headed toward collapse”.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether Livelsberger sought to make a political point with the Tesla and the hotel bearing president-elect Donald Trump’s name.
But officials said Livelsberger appeared to harbour no ill will toward Mr Trump, with the soldier writing in one of the notes that the country needed to “rally around” the president-elect and Tesla chief executive and Trump adviser Elon Musk.
The explosion left seven people with minor injuries. Authorities said Livelsberger acted alone.
“Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who was struggling with PTSD and other issues,” Spencer Evans, the FBI special agent in charge in Las Vegas, said on Friday.
Livelsberger died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Investigators have not yet explained how he shot himself inside the Cybertruck while simultaneously igniting fireworks and camp fuel packed inside, causing the explosion.
Among the charred items found inside were a handgun at Livelsberger’s feet, another firearm, fireworks, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone and a smartwatch. Authorities said both guns were purchased legally.
Livelsberger was part of the Green Berets – highly trained US Army special forces who are experts in guerrilla warfare and unconventional fighting tactics.
As well as his deployments to Afghanistan, Livelsberger rose through the ranks and served in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, according to the army.
He recently returned from an overseas assignment in Germany and was on approved leave when he died.
He was awarded five Bronze Stars, including one with a valour device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valour.