LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Las Vegas police have released multiple 911 calls from the day a Cybertruck exploded in the valet area of Trump International Hotel.
Matthew Livelsberger was identified as a suspect in the explosion and an active-duty U.S. Army service member. According to the Department of Defense, the suspect was also a member of the Green Berets at one point, with multiple tours in Afghanistan.
Around 8:35 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Livelsberger was captured on surveillance footage pulling a Cybertruck rental through the port cochere of the hotel, before leaving the area. At 8:38 a.m., he would pull in once again, trigger multiple fireworks and explosives inside the vehicle, and shoot himself in the head.
A minute later, the first 911 calls poured into LVMPD dispatch.
“Someone just attacked Trump Towers with a monster amount of fireworks,” one man told dispatchers. “Huge… A monster explosion! Oh [expletive].”
He added, “It just happened right now as I was driving by.”
Police later shared that several people were injured, but only one died in the blast – Matthew Livelsberger.
“Did it damage anything, sir?” The dispatcher asked the caller.
“It had to. The whole place is covered in smoke,” the man replied.
Viewer videos obtained by FOX5 showed that smoke was visible from several nearby hotels. FOX5 also spoke to guests staying at the Trump Hotel and nearby properties, who said that the blast was noticeably louder than fireworks from the previous night.
One caller told dispatchers, “I’ve never heard such a big bomb before. I thought maybe someone did a late firework… then a whole box or something exploded.”
He continued, “I was close to Fashion Show Mall and things were flying at me… It’s an attack for sure.”
Multiple state and federal agencies investigated possible links between the explosion and the New Orleans Terror Attack that killed 14 people and the suspect. However, the FBI would later clarify that there was no definitive link between the two incidents.
According to the Department of Defense, Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar were stationed at Fort Bragg and served in Afghanistan in 2009, but there was no evidence that they interacted or knew each other.
LVMPD shared that Livelsberger’s manifesto was discovered during an investigation, which revealed that he was concerned about being painted as a terrorist and only intended to kill himself.
“You didn’t see anybody in the vehicle, right?” a dispatcher asked.
One woman passing by on the way to the airport told dispatchers, “No… it got very smoky very quickly.”
Another woman staying at the Trump Hotel asked dispatchers, “A big explosion just happened, I can see the smoke from my room.”
She continued “Are we okay? Do I just stay in my room? I have little kids.”
Dispatchers assured her, “We can call security, but we have the call set up. We just need suspect information, but we do have people coming.”
“We heard a very loud sound on the first floor… do you know what happened,” another guest asked. “I’m on the fourth floor.”
“Stay in your room,” a dispatcher stated. “If you need to evacuate, someone will come get you.”
Guests staying inside the hotel were later evacuated to a Resorts World ballroom, many of which would take single-night bookings at other properties. The following day, guests were allowed to return and continue their stay.
An investigation into the explosion remains ongoing,
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