Cybertruck explosion near Trump hotel in Las Vegas could change policing methods

A new Metropolitan Police Department report is recommending changes to personnel safety, resource management, communication, training and other policing methods based on the department’s experience when a man detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel on New Year’s Day.

Cybertruck After Action Report FINAL by Tony Garcia

The report, prepared by Metro’s office of internal oversight and constitutional policing, reviewed the agency’s response to the Jan. 1 explosion caused by 37-year-old Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger, with the goal of strengthening future preparedness and response efforts, police said in a news release Monday announcing the 78-page after-action report.

A coroner report released in June said Livelsberger died after he shot himself with a handgun seconds before the ensuing explosion. Livelsberger also reportedly had a documented history of mental health issues, including suicidal ideations and PTSD. The blast left seven others injured.

Along with the nine recommended changes outlined in the report, Metro said the coordination between local and federal law enforcement and the private sector was essential in mitigating the threat to public safety.

Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation, Metro said, including the Clark County Fire Department; the Clark County coroner’s office; the Las Vegas Fire Department’s bomb squad; Trump hotel security; Community Ambulance; the FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In particular, the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division played a crucial role in determining Livelsberger’s military career and background and executed a search warrant on his residence in Germany, where police say he was stationed before the attack.

“In over 35 years of policing, I have never experienced the level of connectivity between local, state, and federal partners like I did during this investigation,” sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a letter prefacing the findings. “There were no inter-agency struggles, no battling egos — it was truly leadership at its finest.”

Report findings

Metro credited its relationship with businesses along the resort corridor for being able to quickly disseminate information immediately following the blast.

Metro said it was able to relay critical details to Las Vegas Strip resort operators, which they said ensured hotel security teams were aware of the “nature and scope” of the situation as it unfolded. The report highlighted efforts by Trump hotel personnel and other nearby businesses that provided video surveillance, while the Regional Transportation Commission provided free bus rides and Resorts World opened a ballroom to provide shelter for people seeking refuge.

The investigation was more efficient through its use of cutting-edge technology, according to the report. Those included laser scanners to recreate the blast area and assist forensic investigators, drones outfitted with thermal imaging cameras that helped fire officials identify potentially hazardous materials and an infrared imaging system that helped identify tattoos on Livelsberger’s charred remains.

Initial responders also quickly determined a large law enforcement response would be needed. After the scene was secured, command posts were set up upwind of the blast site and responding police units stayed in contact with federal law enforcement to ensure the scene was managed and documented properly.

“Because these units followed the standardized procedure, there was a seamless response,” the report states. “Early recognition of the incident’s size helped lay the groundwork for an effective, unified response.”

Report recommendations

While interagency coordination was given high marks in the report, investigators wrote that “insufficient communication” between dispatchers resulted in a delay of resources to the scene.

They further noted how the response to the explosion highlighted staffing challenges amid reported difficulties deploying enough personnel to manage the scene.

Metro said about 1,200 officers had been assigned to patrol New Year’s Eve festivities on the Strip and in downtown Las Vegas that happened just hours before the explosion.

Metro proposed establishing quarterly meetings with CCFD to focus on increasing collaboration between the agencies to address mismatched expectations in incident response protocols. When working with outside agencies, Metro investigators wrote the department should clarify communication protocols and expectations for those assigned to the command post.

“While the intent was to centralize and streamline communication … many liaisons simultaneously fielded requests for updates from their respective supervisors, resulting in information gaps at the” command post, Metro wrote, which “hindered the flow of essential details.”

Metro also reviewed 26 body-worn camera videos, which they said revealed a lack in awareness of the “unique hazards” caused by fires involving large lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles, such as overheating and exposure to toxic fumes, police said. The report also noted crime scene analysts were given inadequate personal protective equipment to work with chemical exposure, and several analysts reported feeling sick afterward.

The recommendation to introduce training focused specifically on EV-related hazards was revealed internally on Jan. 31 and was added to Metro’s training platform in April. Investigators wrote that Metro in May began to dispense masks and filters to crime scene analysts and that additional protective equipment would be made available once received.

Mass casualties, extensive damage avoided

Police in the report characterized the attack as premeditated and added the use fireworks, camping and racing fuel and other incendiaries effectively turned the Cybertruck into a vehicle-borne explosive device that could have potentially caused mass casualties and “extensive damage” to nearby structures.

In the days after the explosion, investigators retraced Livelsberger’s movements to Las Vegas from Colorado Springs, Colorado, using cell phone data, bank records, Cybertruck data, video taken from Tesla charging stations, social media activity and video surveillance obtained from 62 search warrants.

Livelsberger rented the Cybertruck in Denver on Dec. 28 using the smartphone app Turo and drove to Las Vegas after stops in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Police said that Livelsberger acted alone and used generative artificial intelligence to help plan the attack.

Some observers speculated about a potential political motive, given that Livelsberger detonated the Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel using a vehicle made by Tesla — an all-electric automaker led by billionaire Elon Musk, who was closely aligned with Trump during the 2024 election.

A suicide note left by Livelsberger had expressed personal and political grievances but held “no animosity” toward Trump, according to Metro and federal law enforcement.

The report states McMahill intended to discuss the note at a news conference, but was informed the Department of Defense had classified Livelsberger’s manifesto, preventing McMahill from releasing further information to the public.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X. or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.