An active-duty Green Beret suffering a severe mental health crisis detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip on January 1, 2025, fatally shooting himself in the process. The explosion injured six people but was not linked to terrorism. A new report highlights Livelsberger's struggles and lack of prior law enforcement scrutiny.
Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Green Beret from Colorado, was on leave from a deployment in Germany when he carried out the act. On New Year's Day 2025, he fatally shot himself inside the rented Tesla Cybertruck parked outside the Trump International Hotel before it exploded, injuring six bystanders. Authorities identified him 36 hours later through a charred ID found at the scene, quickly ruling out connections to a recent truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 and injured over 50.
Investigators uncovered signs of Livelsberger's deteriorating mental state on his phone and in messages to his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Arritt, whom he dated for two years until 2022. In texts sent days before the incident, he wrote, “I have been spiraling down the last week or so…sometimes I get so hopeless and depressed it’s ridiculous. By far the worst week of my life.” A note on his phone read: “As much as the [mainstream media] will paint me out to be some terrorist and monster, I had no intent on taking out anyone but myself if that happens. I am deeply sorry to anyone that gets hurt. I served my country for my entire adult life and I got caught up in some craziness and have outrun my headlights.”
Arritt, a former Army nurse, had encouraged him to seek help, noting his past mental health struggles. The Army confirmed Livelsberger had access to and used programs providing physical, cognitive, and medical care, with no concerning behaviors noted before his leave. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated, “I'm not aware that he was ever on the radar of law enforcement previously. I would go so far as to say, from what I've been able to see of his military record, he'd be what you described as a military hero.”
Clinical psychologist Chris Frueh explained that mental health issues are common among veterans, but many avoid seeking help due to fears of losing deployable status. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in military mental health support.