The man identified in the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump and may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the FBI.
Matthew Leavelsberger, an active-duty U.S. Army member from Colorado who was found dead in the vehicle, was also struggling with other family issues or personal grievances, FBI officials said.
Officials also stressed that the deadly New Orleans truck attack that left 14 dead earlier on New Year's Day was unrelated to the Las Vegas blast.
Police said the explosion in Las Vegas appeared to be a “tragic case of suicide”.
“There is no evidence that these two events are connected,” Las Vegas FBI agent Spencer Evans told reporters Friday as officials released new information about the incident.
“Investigative steps have found and information from the Army indicates that he may have been suffering from PTSD and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors,” Mr. n Evans said.
Data recovered from Mr Livelsberger's phone, including a series of notes he appeared to have written, suggested the 37-year-old suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his time in combat, officials said.
His body was found in the charred Tesla, which had exploded from fireworks Mr Livelsberger had bought on his way to Las Vegas from Colorado.
Mr. Livelsberger's identity was confirmed through a DNA sample that authorities took from a family member.
Police said he also appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the digital notes found by police, Livelsberger also mentioned political grievances, calling on his fellow army officers to criticize the military leadership.
In another note, police said he specifically wrote that the incident was “not a terrorist attack” but a “wake-up call.”
Mr Livelsberger was a decorated Special Forces intelligence sergeant who was serving in Germany but was on approved leave at the time of the blast.
His father told the BBC's US partner CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.
He said he last spoke to his son on Christmas Day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Mr. Livelsberger's ex-girlfriend said the Washington Post that he once told her that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury while on a business trip abroad. Alicia Arith, a 39-year-old nurse who had been dating Mr Livelsberger since 2018. to 2021, said he admitted to struggling with memory, concentration and intense guilt over his actions on the battlefield.
The Daily Beast reported that Mr. Livelsberger was a big supporter of Trump. A senior law enforcement official who spoke with Mr. Livelsberger's family told the publication that he voted for Trump in the November election.
Police were able to track his movements in the days leading up to the accident thanks to surveillance cameras and other data obtained from the Tesla vehicle itself.
They said Mr Livelsberger rented a Tesla Cybertruck from a mobile app called Turo in Colorado on December 28 and drove it more than 800 miles to Las Vegas. He also legally purchased two firearms during that period, which were found in the car.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said the authorities had not determined why Mr. Livelsberger chose the site outside the Trump Hotel as the site of the explosion, but added that evidence indicated it was one of several locations that he has considered.
Seven people suffered minor injuries from the blast. All have since been released from the hospital, Sheriff McMahill said.
He added that the investigation is ongoing and that police have “barely scratched the surface” of the data they have recovered from the man's devices.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line. Help and support outside the UK can be found at Befrienders Worldwide or you can call the US Lifeline for suicide and crisis situations on 988.