The man responsible for the Cybertruck explosion outside Trump International Hotel served at the same military base as the New Orleans terrorist, it has emerged.
Law enforcement officers raided a home belonging to a 37-year-old man from Colorado Springs on Wednesday night in connection with the blast outside the Las Vegas hotel.
Local media reports the suspect has a military background and served at the same base as Shamsud Din Jabbar, who fatally mowed down 15 people in a rented car in New Orleans in the early hours of New Years Day. Police in Las Vegas have now confirmed they are exploring any potential links between the two men.
Neighbours in Colorado Springs, some 800 miles from the vibrant Nevada city, were reportedly “escorted away” from their plush complex when officers swooped to raid a home there. The suspect, not yet named to the press, is alleged to have hired the Elon-Musk owned Cybertruck in Colorado and driven it into Nevada on Wednesday morning.
In a press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the car arrived in Las Vegas at 7.30am. The explosion took place at 8.40am in the valet area outside the hotel.
The Tesla Cybertruck driver was the sole fatality, and authorities largely credit Musk’s hulking truck with preventing further damage because it was able to contain much of the explosion. According to local media, officers wearing tactical gear arrived in armored vehicles to assess his Colorado Springs property.
At the scene of the explosion, charred fireworks, gas cannisters and camping fuel were found in the bed of the truck when authorities were finally able to put out the fire.
And hours earlier, Jabbar, 42, drove an electric vehicle into crowds, killing 15 pedestrians and injuring dozens more. Law enforcement sources have since revealed the cars used in both attacks were rented through firm Turo, and they were both EVs, prompting concerns they are linked.
Asked about a potential link, Sheriff McMahill said: “Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know… We’re absolutely looking into any connections to New Orleans.”
A spokesperson for Turo later issued a statement describing the company’s heartbreak “by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families. We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents.
“We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.”
Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories
