The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day was an Army special operations soldier on approved leave from his unit, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado Springs, who died in the blast, reportedly served at the same Army base as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who authorities say killed at least 14 people when he deliberately drove his truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday. The San Francisco-based company said the two men also used the same car rental app, Turo, to book the vehicles used in the separate incidents.
At a briefing Thursday morning, FBI officials said they had not found a definitive connection between the two events, but the drivers’ shared Army history and the close timing of the attacks fueled speculation about a coordinated terrorist plot.
Both men seemed to be dealing with significant turmoil in their personal lives in the past weeks and months. Livelsberger had not stayed in the same home as his wife since Christmas because of a dispute over allegations of infidelity, said ABC News, citing an official familiar with what his wife told investigators.
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen who authorities say was carrying an Islamic State flag in his vehicle at the time of the New Orleans attack, seemed to have deep personal struggles and exceptional difficulty transitioning to civilian society after his service. One of his unidentified relatives told USA Today on Thursday that they could not imagine Jabbar carrying out the attack and, if he was responsible, “he may have just went crazy.”
His issues transitioning from the military into civilian life date back years. The Daily Mail cited an interview Jabbar reportedly gave the Georgia State University newspaper in 2015 about his troubles communicating without using military jargon.
“There’s so many different acronyms you’ve learned,” he said, according to the paper. “You don’t know how to speak without using these terms, and you’re not sure what terms are used outside the military.”
He received a bachelor’s degree from the school in 2017.
In July 2020, his second ex-wife was reportedly granted a restraining order against him.
Military backgrounds
Jabbar and Livelsberger had decorated military backgrounds. The Defense Department said Jabbar received the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and many others.
The Pentagon said Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from March 2007 to January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist from January 2015 through July 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
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Military.com reported that Jabbar enlisted in the Navy in 2004 but was discharged without going to boot camp.
His service overlaps with Livelsberger’s, though there is no direct indication that the two men knew each other.
An Army spokesperson confirmed Thursday that Livelsberger enlisted in the service in January 2006 and served until March 2011. He spent stints in the National Guard and Army Reserve until December 2012 before reentering active duty and becoming an Army special operations soldier.
“U.S. Army Special Operations Command can confirm Livelsberger was assigned to the command and on approved leave at the time of his death,” the Army spokesperson said.
A LinkedIn profile purporting to belong to “Matt Livelsberger” of the Colorado Springs area shows he worked in the Army as a communications specialist and intelligence and operations specialist, among other jobs. His career history lists a stint on contract from July 2011 to May 2012 at General Dynamics. One of his skills associated with that job was “explosives detection,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
His most recent position appears to be a “remote and autonomous systems manager.” He graduated from Norwich University with a bachelor of science degree in strategic studies and defense analysis.
Denver ABC affiliate KMGH-TV and other Colorado media outlets reported that Livelsberger and Jabbar served at the same Army base.
Military officials said Livelsberger was highly decorated. He received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor and other awards.
Analysts said it was far too soon to speculate on whether their military backgrounds, based on publicly released information, suggested a link between the two attacks.
“Both suspects served in the military, but they did so in very different capacities. We may find that different motives were at play in the two attacks,” said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
“When horrible things like this happen, it is important to respect the investigations and avoid premature conclusions,” he said.
Charles “Cully” Stimson, a retired Navy captain now with The Heritage Foundation think tank, agreed it was premature to speculate on a connection between the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
“Military members who have been on active duty in the U.S. armed forces are well trained and disciplined and tend to be rule followers. These two men are the exceptions,” Mr. Stimson said.
Signs of a troubled life
Livelsberger’s motivations aren’t readily apparent. On the surface, blowing up a Tesla vehicle in front of a Trump property would seem to carry some political symbolism. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become one of President-elect Donald Trump’s key advisers and political allies, but critics say the technology tycoon is becoming far too powerful and influential in American society.
The explosion doesn’t appear to be an anti-Trump declaration. Family member Dean Livelsberger told The Independent news outlet that Matthew Livelsberger was a “Rambo type” who “loved Trump.”
Jabbar’s motivations are more evident.
The U.S.-born citizen sympathized with the Islamic State group after an apparent radicalization in recent years.
He was from Beaumont, Texas, but lived in Houston at the time of the New Orleans attack.
President Biden said a flag representing the Islamic State, or ISIS, was found in his vehicle and “mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he’s inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
“The ISIS flag was found in his vehicle, which he rented to conduct this attack,” Mr. Biden said during an address Wednesday night.
Jabbar’s brother, Abdur Jabbar, said they were raised Christian but Jabbar converted to Islam long ago.
“What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion,” Abdur Jabbar told The New York Times.
Beyond his apparent radicalization, Jabbar seemed to be struggling in his personal life.
He and his first wife divorced in 2012. They had two daughters, now 15 and 20. Filings related to his second divorce, in 2022, hint at financial difficulties, including potential foreclosure on his house because of nonpayment of the mortgage.
As far as educational and professional background:
• Jabbar’s online resume says he received an associate degree from Central Texas College in 2010 and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University in 2017.
• Jabbar received training and a license to be a Realtor and posted videos in 2020 that said he was a real estate agent in Houston.
• Deloitte, the global consulting firm, confirmed that Jabbar had worked in a “staff-level role” since 2021.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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