One person was killed and at least seven people were injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, the authorities said, on the same day that a man drove a truck through a crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said during a news conference that the authorities “believe this to be an isolated incident” but have not yet ruled out a connection to the Wednesday morning attack in New Orleans.
“There is no further threat to the community,” Sheriff McMahill said. Sheriff McMahill. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no indication the explosion was connected to ISIS, which President Biden said inspired the New Orleans attack, but the investigation remains ongoing, he said.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Jeremy Schwartz, the acting F.B.I. special agent in charge in Las Vegas, said the agency is investigating whether the explosion “was an act of terrorism or not.”
“I know everybody’s interested in that word and trying to see if we can say, ‘Hey this is a terrorist attack,” Mr. Schwartz said. “That is our goal, and that’s what we’re trying to do”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a report of an explosion at about 8:40 a.m. local time at the Trump Hotel.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said in a statement on X that “the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck” and said the vehicle was functioning properly.
Police were told that a 2024 Cybertruck “pulled up to the last entrance doors of the hotel,” Sheriff McMahill said earlier at a news conference.
The driver was the only person in the truck, Mr. McMahill said, and was killed inside the vehicle. At least seven others were reported to have sustained minor injuries.
Sheriff McMahill said the authorities found gas canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars in the back of the truck. It was unclear how they were ignited, Sheriff McMahill said.
The authorities said that the truck was rented in Colorado using Turo, the same car rental app used in the New Orleans attack. The authorities were able to trace the car back to Colorado using video footage captured at charging stations, Sheriff McMahill said.
The truck arrived in Las Vegas at around 7:30 a.m. local time, Sheriff McMahill said, and went up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before immediately pulling into the Trump Towers.
Videos posted to social media showed what appeared to be a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames just outside a hotel’s lobby entrance doors. Other social media posts showed what appeared to be a line of people being led out of the building.
“Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” Eric Trump, Donald J. Trump’s son and a leader of the Trump Organization, said in a statement on X. “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
The same message was posted by the Trump Las Vegas’s social media account. People who were staying at the hotel said they were evacuated because of the fire.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oscar Terol, who was visiting the United States from Barcelona, said that he was walking toward the hotel entrance with his wife when he stopped at a food cart right before the explosion occurred. “Those 10 seconds were the difference,” he said.
He and his wife stumbled backward and Mr. Terol saw a vehicle with flames and an array of colors shooting out of it that he assumed were fireworks.
Todd Hansen was on the 27th floor of the hotel when he said he heard a series of loud popping sounds. He took the elevator down to a waiting area, where he saw smoke and sprinklers on in the driveway outside of the hotel entrance.
“The elevator area was full of people,” Mr. Hansen said. “They would not let you out of the elevator area and into the lobby.” He went back to his room to alert his wife and they were both evacuated when they returned downstairs, he added.
Shir Poli, of San Antonio, said that he had noticed a gas-like smell on the floor and elevator. He managed to take his luggage with him as evacuations were underway.
Kerri Ford, of Wisconsin, said she had left her room for a cup of coffee when she was told to leave the building. She was set to be married on Wednesday afternoon, and her wedding dress and marriage license were left in the room.
“We didn’t know there was anything going on,” Ms. Ford said. “We just happened to come down for coffee and they’re like, ‘You have to evacuate.’”
The incident comes as Mr. Musk has cultivated a close and highly public relationship with President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Musk has been using a cottage at Mar-a-Lago that Mr. Trump converted into a members-only club, providing easy access. In November, Mr. Trump tapped the tech billionaire to help lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
And federal filings revealed in December showed that Mr. Musk had spent more than $250 million in the final months of the presidential campaign to help Mr. Trump win the White House.
The Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, on Fashion Show Drive, has nearly 1,300 suites and is 64 stories, according to the Trump Hotels website.
Pashtana Usufzy reported from Las Vegas and Emmett Lindner reported from New York. [SOURCE]
