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A Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of President-elect Trump’s Las Vegas hotel Wednesday, killing one person and injuring seven others.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police first received a report of an explosion and fire at Trump International Hotel at around 8:40 a.m. local time. The 2024 Cybertruck pulled up in front of the hotel and was seen emitting smoke before the explosion, police said.
The person inside the car was killed, while seven others sustained minor injuries.
Two sources close to the investigation told 8 News Now in Las Vegas that investigators believe the incident was an intentional act.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted that Las Vegas police are “well aware” of the terror attack that occurred in New Orleans early Wednesday morning, where a truck drove into the crowds on Bourbon Street, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more.
A suspected improvised explosive device (IED) was found in the driver’s vehicle in New Orleans, and more potential IEDs were found in the French Quarter, according to the FBI.
“As you can imagine, with an explosion here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe,” McMahill said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“There does not appear to be any further threat to our community here now,” he added.
According to a law enforcement official, the Cybertruck truck was rented via the Turo app and appeared to have a load of fireworks, per the Associated Press. This app was also used to rent the car used in the New Orleans attack, according to a Turo spokesperson.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a close ally of Trump, said in a post on his social media platform X that the “whole Tesla senior team” was investigating the incident, adding they’ve “never seen anything like this.”
In a later post, he said they had confirmed 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.”
The president-elect’s son and business partner, Eric Trump, noted Wednesday that the “safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism,” he added on X.
The local station in Las Vegas, 8 News Now, is owned by Nexstar, which also owns The Hill
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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