Tesla Cybertruck fire at Trump Hotel appears to be act of terror: Musk

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Ray Bogan (Political Correspondent)

One person died and seven others were injured when a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire at the entrance of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas Wednesday, Jan. 1. According to Elon Musk, the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the truck, nothing was wrong with the vehicle itself.

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Musk said the fire appeared to be an act of terrorism, although the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said it had a lot to figure out before releasing more information to the public. A law enforcement source told The Associated Press they had not ruled out terrorism.

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 and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.

All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025

Police said they are looking for secondary devices but added there did not appear to be any further threat to the community.

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“We believe everything is safe now,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said.

The deceased individual was found inside the vehicle and the sheriff said they could not determine if they were male or female. The injuries to the seven others were described as minor.

A Tesla Cybertruck is shown after it caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel, on January 1, 2025, in Las Vegas. Source: Getty Images.

A video taken from inside the hotel lobby showed flames going through the truck’s windows. Firework-like sounds could be heard as objects whizzed and popped in the air.

Tesla’s Cybertruck explosion at the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was not a coincidence. Tesla’s are very safe and don’t just explode❗️❗️❗️ pic.twitter.com/SWVlUETD5D
— Eva McMillan ♥️ (@EvasTeslaSPlaid) January 1, 2025

The Cybertruck was rented on the rental app Turo, the same app used by the attacker in New Orleans.

At least 15 people were killed and 35 were injured Wednesday morning after a man drove a rented Ford pickup truck down Canal and Bourbon Street in the city’s French Quarter. The FBI said it’s investigating the incident as an act of terrorism and confirmed the suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen, is dead.

Eric Trump, son of the President-elect and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, thanked the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response to the fire. He said the safety of guests and staff is their top priority.

Tags: Cybertruck, Elon Musk, Tesla, Donald Trump, Terrorism, Las Vegas