On Thursday, federal and state officials continued their investigations into the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, which resulted in one death and multiple injuries. Authorities are exploring whether this incident may be linked to a deadly truck attack that occurred in New Orleans just hours before.

The incident took place on Wednesday morning while the Cybertruck was parked near Trump International Hotel, as reported by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill. The individual inside the vehicle died, and seven others sustained injuries. The identity of the driver has not yet been disclosed.

Investigators discovered gas canisters, camping fuel canisters, and large firework mortars inside the truck’s back.

Video footage from the police department captures the Cybertruck parked in front of the hotel igniting in a massive explosion, accompanied by a substantial cloud of smoke and visible fireworks.

“There is no ongoing threat to the community,” stated McMahill during a press conference yesterday. Both he and Jeremy Schwartz, acting Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in Las Vegas, indicated their belief that the explosion was a singular occurrence.

Chronology of the Explosion

The Cybertruck reached Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. local time, as per the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The vehicle was rented from Colorado via a peer-to-peer rental platform called Turo.

The driver reportedly cruised through Las Vegas Boulevard for about an hour before stopping at the Trump hotel, where the vehicle remained for roughly 15 seconds prior to the explosion occurring at around 8:40 a.m.

“The Cybertruck’s design helped to reduce damage inside the valet area,” McMahill noted. He explained that the explosion ascended rather than expanding outward due to the vehicle’s structure.

Unveiled in 2019, the Cybertruck is an electric vehicle that Tesla positioned as its first truck. It is known for its unique, post-apocalyptic aesthetic and promoted as having a “bulletproof” stainless-steel body along with “virtually indestructible” armored glass, according to earlier comments from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Investigation into Potential Terrorism

According to Schwartz from the FBI, the primary objectives for investigators are to establish the identity of the Cybertruck’s driver and to ascertain if this incident constitutes an act of terrorism.

McMahill clarified that there were no signs connecting this event to the Islamic State.

President Joe Biden mentioned that federal officials are also looking into whether this explosion may relate to the New Orleans incident, which claimed 15 lives and resulted in numerous injuries when a man drove a truck recklessly into a crowd. That truck was similarly rented through the Turo service, authorities confirmed.

“We are monitoring the Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas,” President Biden stated on Wednesday. “Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining this situation, including potential ties to the New Orleans attack.”