The explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas and the horrific car-ramming incident in the United States's New Orleans, which claimed at least 15 lives, might be linked, claimed tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Taking to X (formally Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX owner, Musk, stated that vehicles involved in both incidents were rented from the same car rental site, Turo.
"Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way," he wrote.
Appears likely to be an act of terrorism.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way. https://t.co/MM6ehJO3SG
The New Orleans attack occurred around 3:15 am on Wednesday near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets in New Orleans, when an Army veteran with an ISIS flag on his truck swerved around makeshift barriers and plowed into a crowded French Quarter on New Year's Day, killing 15 people. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabba, drove a Ford pickup truck, and officials believe the attack was carried out with the help of others.
Meanwhile in Las Vegas, At least one person was killed and seven wounded when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel belonging to US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas. The electric vehicle pulled up to the Trump International Hotel's glass entrance before a "large explosion," according to Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
Mr Musk noted that the explosion was caused by fireworks or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck, not by the vehicle itself.
"We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself," Musk wrote on X
"All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion," he said, adding that the whole Tesla senior team was investigating the matter.
Video footage shows the stainless steel truck parked at the hotel entrance before bursting into flames, followed by smaller explosions that appeared similar to fireworks.
US President Joe Biden said authorities were investigating any possible link between the blast and an attack earlier Wednesday in New Orleans, in which a truck rammed a crowd, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens.
"Thus far, there's nothing to report on that score," Biden said.
FBI agent Jeremy Schwartz described the Las Vegas blast as "an isolated incident," adding: "We do not believe that there's a bunch of folks out there supporting this or helping this."
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