Authorities are investigating an explosion and fire involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning as a possible act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter and cited by CNN.
At a news conference, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill confirmed that the fire was reported shortly after 8:40 a.m. First responders arrived to find a 2024 Cybertruck engulfed in flames.
“There is one deceased individual inside the Cybertruck and I don’t know whether it is a male or a female at this time,” McMahill said.
Seven additional people sustained what McMahill described as “minor” injuries resulting from the explosion.
Videos circulating on social media show the vehicle consumed by smoke as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
Jeremy Schwartz, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, stated that federal investigators are collaborating with local authorities on the case.
Surveillance footage showed the Cybertruck passing by the Trump Hotel about an hour before the explosion. The driver then circled back, stopping in front of the hotel just seconds before the vehicle exploded, according to an official.
Authorities say the explosives found in the truck included fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel, which were likely connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver.
Investigators are also looking into whether the incident is connected to a separate attack in New Orleans, where a suspect drove a truck into a crowd, killing at least 15 people. No connection has been confirmed at this time.
In a post on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that the company is conducting its own investigation into the incident.
“We have now confirmed that 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,” Musk wrote.
Sheriff McMahill said the investigation remains active, with authorities working to determine the motives behind the incident.