by Sharon Rondeau
(Jan. 1, 2025) — On the heels of an attack by a driver in a pickup truck on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday morning, a Tesla pickup “cybertruck” exploded outside of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas at 8:40 a.m. local time, killing the driver and injuring at least seven others.
Explosives were found in New Orleans after the driver, reportedly a U.S. citizen and Army veteran, was shot and killed by police. Ten others were declared dead, but the count rose to 15 over the course of the day.
“Fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel” were employed to create the Las Vegas explosion, CNN reported.
On “X,” a platform he owns, Tesla manufacturer Elon Musk wrote, “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.”
A few minutes later, he remarked, “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”
Both vehicles were rented through an app called “Turo.”
The FBI reportedly believes neither driver worked “alone.”