DIGIVESTASI - Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that his company's team had determined the explosion was caused by large fireworks and/or a bomb brought in a rented Cybertruck. Musk also stated that the terrorists chose the wrong vehicle, as the Cybertruck was able to withstand the explosion and direct it upward. "The Cybertruck truly withstood the explosion and directed it upwards. The criminals chose the wrong vehicle to carry out the terrorist attack," Musk wrote on X.com on Thursday (January 2, 2025).

🚨 #BREAKING: Las Vegas Police release new video of the exploded Cybertruck outside of the Trump Hotel, showing explosive ordinances in the back

Police credited the lack of damage to the Trump Hotel to the strength of the Cybertruck, as it remained mostly intact.

“The explosion… pic.twitter.com/lajQZX2pOI

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 2, 2025

Musk added that both the Cybertruck and the pickup truck used in New Orleans were rented through Turo, and that they might be linked, although he did not provide evidence to support that claim. Turo is a car-sharing platform that allows vehicle owners to rent their cars. The Las Vegas incident coincided with an FBI and police investigation into the attack in New Orleans on Wednesday (January 1, 2025), which killed at least 15 people and injured over 30.

In a statement at the White House, President Joe Biden stated that law enforcement was investigating whether the two incidents were connected. The FBI revealed that authorities in New Orleans found an ISIS flag and were examining possible connections or affiliations of the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, to the terrorist group. A law enforcement official also mentioned the discovery of improvised explosive devices. The Las Vegas police said they found no evidence pointing to international terrorism, though they continued investigating all possibilities.

Las Vegas Police Chief McMahill confirmed that the investigation into a possible link between the incidents and the attack in New Orleans was ongoing, and emphasized that no possibilities had been ruled out. He added that investigators had found no evidence of further threats to the public. An FBI official described the explosion as an isolated incident. Musk stated that Tesla was supporting the investigation and had provided vehicle data and information from charging stations to assist in the inquiry. McMahill confirmed that Tesla had contributed the data.