A new video captures the moment a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside President-Elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, tragically killing one person standing nearby. The incident, recorded by CCTV, shows the silver truck parked at the hotel’s front gate with a man about 15 feet away, luggage in hand.
Seconds later, an explosion launched the man several feet from his original position, transforming the Cybertruck into a blazing inferno. This explosion occurred around 8:40 am (US Time), and subsequent surveillance footage traced the truck, rented in Colorado, navigating Las Vegas Boulevard before it stopped in front of the hotel.
Investigators found fireworks, gas tanks, and camp fuel inside the truck, materials linked to the detonation. The incident resulted in injuries to at least seven people. Police later revealed footage displaying charred gasoline canisters and firework mortars in the truck’s bed.
Tesla founder Elon Musk labelled the explosion an “act of terrorism” but noted that the Cybertruck’s design helped minimize damage to the surrounding area. “Cybertruck contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards, ensuring the hotel’s glass doors remained intact,” Musk stated on social media platform X.
FBI Special Agent Jeremy Schwartz, leading the joint terrorism task force in Las Vegas, confirmed their lead in the investigation.
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The explosion raises alarms particularly because it happened just hours after another rented vehicle was used in a deadly attack in New Orleans, where a US Army veteran inspired by Islamic State killed 15 people. Remarkably, both vehicles used in these incidents were rented through the same company, Turo.