Matthew Livelsberger Could Have ‘Obliterated’ Hotel If He Wanted, Uncle Says

Cybertruck bombing suspect Matthew Livelsberger could have inflicted serious damage on Donald Trump’s Las Vegas Hotel if he had “seriously wanted to hurt others,” his uncle has said. Dean Livelsberger told the Independent that his nephew was “very patriotic, “loved Trump,” and was a “supersoldier” who could have “fashioned a bomb that would have half obliterated that hotel.” Newsweek contacted the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for comment on Friday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Special Forces soldier, was behind the Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, local Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday. Livelsberger was the only fatality and had suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the bomb was ignited. The Sheriff said the body itself was burned “almost beyond recognition” and authorities still don’t have a “100 percent” confirmation that it is Livelsberger. Seven people suffered minor injuries. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department vehicle blocks the road near the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the entrance on January 01, 2025 in Las… A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department vehicle blocks the road near the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the entrance on January 01, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Authorities named 37-year-old Special Forces soldier Matthew Livelsberger as the individual behind the attack. Ethan Miller/GETTY What To Know Just hours before the Las Vegas explosion, 15 people were killed in a New Orleans ramming attack carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an army veteran who had pledged support for the Islamic State group. Authorities are continuing to investigate whether there was any connection between the New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion, though on Thursday the FBI said they had found “no definitive link” between the two incidents. Dean Livelsberger’s comments raise fresh questions about why Matthew Livelsberger, a serving Special Forces soldier with 19 years of military experience, might have conducted the attack and why he used such a crude weapon. Livelsberger, whose military ID and passport were recovered from the burnt out Cybertruck, had recently had a child with his new partner. Dean Livelsberger said his nephew “could have fashioned a bomb that would have obliterated half of that hotel if he seriously wanted to hurt others,” rather than the explosives used which authorities said included a combination of gas canisters and large fireworks. Photograph of Las Vegas explosion suspect Matthew Livelsberger taken from his LinkedIn account. Photograph of Las Vegas explosion suspect Matthew Livelsberger taken from his LinkedIn account. Linkedin/Matt Livelsberger The uncle continued: “Think of Oklahoma City. McVeigh was just a normal soldier. Not a Tier 1 operator like Matt.” In April 1995 168 people were killed in a truck bombing conducted by anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh. Dean Livelsberger said his nephew was divorced from his first wife and recently had a child with another woman. In September he posted a picture of himself with the baby in his arms on Facebook. He also said photographs Matthew Livelsberger had posted on social media while stationed in Germany, including one of him proposing to his current partner, had recently “disappeared.” He concluded: “Matt wasn’t estranged from the family at all. Everyone thought the world of Matt.” What People Are Saying Dean Livelsberger, to the Independent: “Matt was a very skilled warrior, and he would be able to make—if it was him, and if he did this—he would’ve been able to make a more sophisticated explosive than using propane tanks and camping fuel. He was what you might call a ‘supersoldier.’ If you ever read about the things he was awarded, and the experience he had, some of it doesn’t make sense, when he had the skills and ability to make something more, let’s say, ‘efficient.’ His skills were enormous from what he had been taught in the military.” Spencer Evans, FBI special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office, said: “Obviously we’re concerned in these sort of events to ascertain what the motive was. We understand that’s at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts, so we’re looking into exactly what the motivation is remains our number one priority.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X (formerly Twitter): “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. What Happens Next Police are continuing to investigate the movie behind the Las Vegas explosion as well as any possible connection with the New Orleans attack. On January 20 Trump will be inaugurated as president for the second time and he has already named Tesla owned Elon Musk as cohead of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.