New Photos Show Blown-Up Cybertruck Stuffed With Explosives Outside Trump Hotel

Authorities revealed the first images from inside the burnt-out hull of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, showing the vehicle was stuffed with fireworks and fuel that almost certainly increased the blast radius when it ultimately went up in flames Wednesday morning.

The car’s driver was killed and at least seven more were injured during the incident, which the Las Vegas Police Department said it was probing as a “possible act of terror.”

Cops described the explosives in the vehicle as a combination of camping fuel, gas tanks, and large mortars, which are a type of firework. It remains unclear how they were first ignited.

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of the car’s manufacturer Tesla, later claimed that the vehicle itself was not the cause of the explosion. He wrote on X: “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”

Sheriff Kevin McMahill also thanked Musk and the company for providing additional information that shed light on the explosion. He later added that the car’s sturdy construction helped to “limit” the blast and prevent further injuries or damage to the building.

“It looks like the exterior of that truck is completely intact as it sits there,” he said. “Most of the blast went up through the truck and out—in fact, if you look on the video the front blast doors at the Trump Hotel were not even broken by that blast.”

The electric vehicle was obtained via private rental app Turo, according to a law enforcement source who spoke with the Associated Press. That’s the same app allegedly used by a man who plowed into a crowd of New Years’ revelers in a truck on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 15 people and injuring more than 30 others. McMahill said his department was investigating whether the two acts were connected.

The blast occurred just before 9:00 a.m. One eyewitness, who first posted a video of the scene to social media, said that the car immediately exploded after pulling up to the hotel’s valet stand, making the windows “shake” violently.

Eric Trump, an executive at the Trump Organization, which owns the Las Vegas hotel, thanked first responders for their quick actions.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority,” he added.