A veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder calls U.S. government leadership “weak” and admits to intentionally blowing up a Tesla Cybertruck at the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day Police announced Friday.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Undersheriff Dori Collen said investigators were able to access one of the two cell phones found in the Cybertruck and were able to determine information about Matthew Alan Leiblesberger’s behavior and mental state. He stated that he had viewed the entries on an app that was like a diary that recorded the club’s activities. From December 21st to New Year’s Eve.
Two letters left on the phone app hint at a possible motive for the explosion, Collen said. In one letter, he told his “fellow service members, veterans, and all Americans” that the country’s leadership was “weak” and “serves only to enrich ourselves.” The time has come to wake up.
The second letter appears to shed more light on Mr. Libersberger’s thinking.
“We are the United States of America, the greatest nation that ever existed, and now we are terminally ill and on the verge of collapse,” the second letter said. “This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake-up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacle and violence. What better way to get your point across than with a stunt with fireworks or explosives?” There is no way…I need to clear my mind of the brothers I lost and free myself from the burden of the lives I have taken.”
Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas division, said that after consulting with the Army, it was determined that Libersberger was likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It added that authorities are aware of potential “family and personal issues.” Dissatisfaction in his own life may be a contributing factor. ”
Koren said Leiblsberger also expressed other grievances, including conflicts around the world and domestic and social issues. He cautioned that investigators are continuing to review evidence found on the cellphone, and Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators have not been able to access a second cellphone found in the Cybertruck. said.
Evans said authorities have not established a firm link between the Cybertruck explosion and the alleged terrorist attack that occurred hours earlier in New Orleans on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people. said.
The only connections investigators established appeared to be incidental and coincidental, including that both suspects rented cars from the same company.
Evans said Libersberger also had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump.
Las Vegas police announced Thursday that Libersberger has been positively identified as the suspect in the explosion. The Clark County medical examiner determined the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Authorities said they were able to identify Libersberger’s severely burned body through a variety of methods, including family DNA and tattoos.
Libersberger, 37, was on military-approved leave when he rented a Tesla Cybertruck and drove from Colorado to Las Vegas, law enforcement officials said. Trump then parked his truck just outside the entrance to the Trump Hotel, and fireworks and gasoline in the bed of the truck ignited.
Those who served in Rivalsberger’s nearly 20 years in uniform described him as a dedicated, patriotic soldier and a good teammate. Two soldiers who served with him in recent years both expressed surprise at his actions, with one saying he was “not a violent person.”
A soldier who served with Libersberger said he frequently expressed his political views on social media, with most of his posts being “patriotic” and very pro-military. He added that political differences had caused a rift with some soldiers.
“He posted a lot of political messages on social media, which made some of us uncomfortable,” the source said. The soldiers asked that their names not be used because they were not authorized to speak publicly about their service members.
Libersberger’s ex-girlfriend, Alicia Allitt, told NBC News that she dated him on and off for about three years. She said he was a proud soldier who struggled with chronic pain but hid it from his superiors.
She said he wasn’t overtly political when she knew him and they had lost touch in recent years, but she suddenly received text messages from him in recent days. The message said he had rented a Cybertruck, but gave no indication of what he was planning to do.
Mr Leiblesberger’s uncle, Dean Leiblesberger, also told The Independent that Mr Leiblesberger was a very patriotic American and an ardent supporter of President Trump. He did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for an interview.
NBC News examined social media profiles believed to belong to Libersberger, showing a well-traveled man who had recently given birth to a child. He first entered active duty in 2006, served in the National Guard and Army Reserve, and re-enlisted in December 2012 as a U.S. Army Special Operations Soldier, Army officials said.
Online, Mr. Libersberger chronicles trips to Thailand and Italy on TripAdvisor, dines at bar bistros in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and churches in France, and posts photos on Google Maps warning of scams at clubs in Puerto Rico. did. A country called Georgia. He also posted about tourist attractions in Colorado, where he lived.
Additionally, Livelsberger had a relatively limited online presence, including a LinkedIn page and Facebook profile.
Mr. Libersberger’s military career included deployments to the Republic of Congo in 2014, Ukraine in 2016, Tajikistan in 2016, and Afghanistan in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Mr. Libersberger married in 2012 and later divorced in 2018, according to public records. The records also list a marriage application filed in 2022. Also, in 2022, a photo of a woman named Libersberger wearing a wedding ring was posted online, suggesting they were in a relationship.
Libersberger posted a photo on Facebook in September of herself and her partner cradling their newborn, and later posted a photo of herself standing in front of a body of water holding the child. His right arm was covered in tattoos. The tattoo, which law enforcement would later use to identify his body after the Cybertruck explosion, was recently added to the tattoo sleeve near his right elbow and features three moons. It had a symbol of three intertwined crescent moons drawn on it.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or live chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
