The wife of the soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump Las Vegas hotel ended their relationship six days before he fatally shot himself and blew up the vehicle, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.
Following an argument with his wife, in which she told him she knew he was cheating, Matthew Livelsberger, 37, left his Colorado Springs home the day after Christmas, the sources said.
He then rented a Cybertruck through the Turo app and traveled to Las Vegas, where he parked the vehicle in front of the Trump hotel on New Year's Day, detonated the firework mortars and camp fuel canisters inside it, and shot himself in the head.
Investigators had initially considered the possibility that the bombing was politically motivated because it occurred outside a hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump and used a vehicle manufactured by Tesla, which is headed by Elon Musk, a close Trump ally.
"It's not lost on us that it happened in front of the Trump building, and a Tesla vehicle was used," Spencer Evans, the FBI special agent in charge, said.
The Post reported that the FBI is now investigating whether Livelsberger's motive was personal, rather than political, as had previously been considered.
The soldier, who was an active-duty member of the Army's Special Forces, was known as a staunch Trump supporter and a "Rambo-type patriot," the sources said, and authorities are probing to see if he deliberately rented a Cybertruck to limit civilian casualties.
Livelsberger's uncle, Dean Livelsberger, told the Independent that his nephew had shipped out to Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018 and was known for his patriotism.
"He loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American," the uncle said. "It's one of the reasons he was in Special Forces for so many years. It wasn't just one tour of duty."
Had Livelsberger used another style vehicle, the explosion would have likely blown out the glass doors of the hotel lobby, potentially killing innocent people in the process.
Seven people were wounded in the incident.
According to the Post's sources, the Cybertruck's steel design contained the force of the blast, with the flames shooting up through the roof.
Authorities said a second firearm, passport, military ID, credit cards, an iPhone, and a smartwatch were recovered from the charred interior of the truck. Both guns were reportedly purchased legally.
Investigators have not conclusively identified the remains as Livelsberger, but the IDs and tattoos on the body "give a strong indication that it's him," Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference Thursday.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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