On January 1, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the main entrance of the hotel Trump International Las Vegasleaving one person dead and seven more injured. Authorities consider the incident a possible terrorist act, but have not yet fully identified the suspect. During the investigations, the collaboration of Elon Musk y Tesla It was crucial to gather information.
The electric van was rented through the Turo app and was transporting dangerous cargo: fireworks, camping fuel and several cylinders, according to authorities. But what caused the explosion remains unconfirmed.
According to him sheriff Kevin McMahillof the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departmentthe contribution of Musk and his team was instrumental in providing “a lot of additional information regarding how the vehicle was blocked after the explosion due to the force of the detonation.”
“They also captured all the videos from Tesla charging stations throughout the country and sent the truck directly to us, so I appreciate their help,” the official added in statements to the press.
The explosion, which occurred at 8:40 a.m., did not significantly damage the exterior structure of the hotel, which some attribute to the design of the van. In your account X, Musk He joked about the use of the vehicle in a possible terrorist attack.
“The Cybertruck is the worst possible choice for a car bomb, since its stainless steel armor contains the explosion better than any other commercial vehicle,” he said on his social network.
“Not even the glass doors in the lobby were broken,” added the magnate, who was publishing various posts referring to the attack and the investigations into it.
The incident also raised questions due to its coincidences with another attack that same day in Bourbon StreetNew Orleans. According to information from The New York Times, in this second event a Ford truck, also rented through Teachingcharged into a crowd, leaving fifteen dead.
An Islamic State flag and texts linked to the group were found inside, leading the FBI to classify it as an act of terrorism. “It is another coincidence that we must continue investigating,” said McMahill, although so far no direct connections between the two events have been revealed, the same source reported.
In addition to the coincidences in the rental service, vegas y New Orleans They share the shadow of possible extremist motivations, although investigators have not yet revealed a clear motive in the Trump hotel case.
President Joe Biden stated in this regard: “We do not know if they are connected, but we are investigating any possible link between the events in New Orleans and Las Vegas.”
Meanwhile, figures close to Donald Trump They commented on the explosion. Eric Trumphis son, announced on social media: “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our priority. “We thank the Las Vegas Fire Department and law enforcement for their quick response.”
Musk, for his part, joined these comments in Xreiterating the resistance of the vehicle and stating that “the evil hardheads chose the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack.”
The support provided by Elon Muskwho maintains a close relationship with the president-elect Donald Trumpfueled discussions about whether this could be one of the factors behind the attack.
“It’s a Tesla truck, we know that Elon Musk He is collaborating with Trump and this is Trump Tower. These are things we have to worry about,” said McMahil. For now, the motive behind the explosion remains unclear, and investigations will continue to focus on possible global links.
The explosion of the Cybertruck and the attack on New Orleans have aroused strong reactions and motivates a deeper analysis of possible related threats. Although authorities continue to explore whether a connection exists, they have not revealed conclusive information.
