Matthew Livelsberger was named in reports as the suspect found dead inside a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, New Year's Day 2025 .
The Colorado Springs KOAA Station and the New York Post reported that Livelsberger, a 37-year-old former Army veteran, was the suspect, citing unnamed law enforcement sources.
There have been a number of social media posts identifying social media accounts, allegedly linked to Matt Livelsberger, that reveal details about his life.
News week contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via email for comment.
The context
One person died and seven others were injured after the explosion caused a fire in the valet parking area outside the Trump International Hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard around 8:40 a.m. local time, according to authorities. The deceased was driving the vehicle that exploded.
Police have not yet determined the cause of the incident and are investigating whether it was an act of terrorism.
What we know
There are three social media accounts in question: a LinkedIn account linked to Matt Livelsberger, a Facebook account linked to Matt Berg, and a Facebook account linked to what appears to be a wife or girlfriend of Livelsberger named Sara Livelsberger.
News week has not been able to independently verify the veracity of these accounts.
According to social media profiles that appear to belong to Livelsberger and his partner, he was a former Colorado Springs veteran.
According to the profile on LinkedIn, Livelsberger was director of operations and head of intelligence. He served in the United States Army for over 19 years.
He started as a Special Forces communications specialist, a position he held for nine years. He then became a special forces intelligence and operations specialist, a position he held for seven years.
Livelsberger then became Special Forces Operations Manager and Team Sergeant, a position he held for just under two years, before becoming Remote and Autonomous Systems Manager in November.
He attended Norwich University in Vermont, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis, graduating with honors.
According to LinkedIn, he received a State Meritorious Honor Award from the Department of State.
Livelsberger was active on LinkedIn and often commented on his military colleagues' posts. In a comment on an article about student debt, he responded to a question asking who was responsible for the debts by saying: “The government.”
The LinkedIn profile also states that he was interested in human rights and animal welfare.
Although all three profiles have been shared on social media, there are discrepancies. Matt Berg's profile has a different last name, and the man in the profile photos is different from the man in the photos on Matt Livelsberger's LinkedIn account and Sara Livelsberger's Facebook page.
Details on the Sara Livelsberger page and on Matt Livelsberger LinkedIn match. A 2015 post on Sara Livelsberger's Facebook page reads: “It's my old asshole husband's 28th birthday! » This corresponds to Livelsberger's reported age, which is now 37 years old.
Sara Livelsberger's Facebook account posted many photos of Matt Livelsberger, and many posts talked about their relationship. The last post on this account was in May 2016.
An account on X, formerly Twitter, also belonged to a certain Sara Livelsberger. He has not been published since 2015. As such, it is unclear whether Sara Livelsberger, who appears to be Matt Livelsberger's wife or girlfriend, is still connected to him.
In posts shared to Sara Livelsberger's Facebook account, Matt Livelsberger is seen attending rock concerts, vacationing in Puerto Rico and spending time with dogs.
Images from LinkedIn and Facebook show Mathew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old former Army veteran who has been named in reports as the suspect in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion. On January 1, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring seven.
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Matthew Livelsberger/Linkedin Sarah Livelsberger/Facebook
Livelsberger is believed to have died in the explosion.
The suspect allegedly rented the Tesla Cybertruck through the car-sharing company Turo in Colorado.
ABC affiliates reported that several addresses have been linked to the alleged suspect and the FBI is awaiting a search warrant for one of the residences.
Images from Sara Livelsberger's Facebook page show Mathew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old former Army veteran who has been named in reports as the suspect in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion. On January 1, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring seven.
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Sara Livelsberger/Facebook
What people say
Las Vegas County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press conference Wednesday: “At this time we are investigating a number of leads, and I am not ready to release any of that information to you yet. I can tell you that there are currently seven victims who were injured by the explosion.
Jeremy Schwartz, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas office, at a press conference: “I know you have a lot of questions.”
“We don’t have a lot of answers,” he added.
What's next
Las Vegas police said they were investigating the fire and explosion. During Wednesday's press conference, Schwartz confirmed that the FBI was also involved in the investigation.
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