A Tesla Cybertruck loaded with fireworks mortars and fuel canisters exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and police are looking into the incident. The driver was killed, and seven others were injured, although none of the individuals involved were named by the police. Officials mentioned that the injuries were minor.

The truck, which was rented in Colorado, arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the explosion. It was parked in front of the hotel near a glass entrance. The vehicle began to smoke and then exploded. President Joe Biden stated in an evening speech that the White House was keeping tabs on the event and that police were looking into "whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans" that claimed 15 lives early on New Year's Day. At an afternoon press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill displayed dramatic footage of the explosion and photos of the aftermath. The images included fuel canisters and large fireworks found in the truck bed. The footage showed the truck parked right in front of the hotel entrance. 

It remained still for a few seconds before exploding, sending colourful fireworks in all directions. Another video showed investigators using a black fire-retardant tarp to control the fire, revealing the truck bed's charred remains. They found gas and fuel canisters, along with the leftover pieces of over a dozen firework mortars. The fire broke out around 08:40 PT (15:40 GMT), just a few hours after a man drove a truck with an Islamic State (IS) group flag into a crowd in New Orleans. At least 15 people died and dozens were injured. Mr. McMahill from the Las Vegas Police Department said the authorities were looking into whether the incident might be connected to the one in New Orleans, where improvised explosive devices were found near the scene. He also mentioned that they were investigating whether the fire could be linked to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Elon Musk, who owns Tesla. "Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel, there's lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward," he said.

In the New Orleans Truck attack, the FBI identified the perpetrator as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen and Army veteran from Texas. Police said that the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was "hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did" and that the act was "very intentional." A flag related to the Islamic State (IS) group was discovered in the vehicle he was driving. The FBI is looking into whether Jabbar had any connections to terrorist organisations. During his evening speech, President Joe Biden claimed to have received a briefing on the attack from the FBI. Social media videos that the suspect posted "mere hours before the attack" showed that he was motivated by IS and that he had a "desire to kill," according to Biden. 

Suspicious improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were discovered in the area. A long gun with a suppressor, which acts as a silencer, was also found. According to a LinkedIn profile that has since been removed, Jabbar had worked in different positions in the US Army, including in human resources and IT, before being discharged. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. Jabbar claimed that his military experience had taught him "the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting i's and crossing t's to make sure that things go off without a hitch" in a 2020 YouTube video. 

He attended Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017, where he earned a degree in computer information systems. He was married twice—his first marriage ended in 2012, and his second lasted from 2017 to 2022. He also worked in real estate and held a license, which expired in 2021. He had a criminal record for traffic offences and theft. The electric pick-up truck he was driving was rented in Texas through an app called Turo.

Meanwhile, The FBI stated that it was investigating the possibility that the incident was a terrorist act, although authorities stated that they had not yet verified the identity of the driver who perished in the car. As of right now, authorities have not discovered any proof linking this act to IS. "I know everybody's interested in that word, and trying to see if we can say, 'Hey, this is a terrorist attack.' That is our goal, and that's what we're trying to do," Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI's special agent in charge, told reporters during a press conference. The sheriff observed that both vehicles seemed to be rented through Turo, an app-based car rental service. In a statement, a Turo representative claimed that the company was assisting the investigation by collaborating with law enforcement in New Orleans and Las Vegas. 

The authorities say they know the name of the person who rented the vehicle, but they have not officially confirmed if that person was the one driving it. "As you can imagine, with an explosion here on an iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe," he said during a news conference. Mr. McMahill stated that the threat to the Las Vegas community has been eliminated. Biden was informed about both the attack in New Orleans and the explosion in Las Vegas. "We're tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas," said the president in an evening address. "Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans." Fire department officials said that emergency responders acted quickly to put out the vehicle fire. They also warned the public to stay away from the area. The hotel was evacuated, and most guests were moved to a different location.

The company of President-elect Donald Trump owns a portion of it. Trump's son, Eric Trump, claimed that a "reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas" in a post on X. "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 said.

Stephen Ferlando told the Washington Post that he saw the incident from his hotel room on the 53rd floor of the Trump Tower. He mentioned that there was "definitely an explosion" and that the windows started shaking. The Trump Hotel has 64 floors and about 1,300 suites, according to its website. After growing close during Trump's campaign, Musk was recently appointed by Trump to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency, a presidential advisory panel.