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This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Center at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The driver who blew up the Tesla Cybertruck in front of the car Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s did not display any “unpleasant behavior” while he was granted personal leave from his station in Germany, a US Army spokesman said.
“Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger had access to and use of the POTFF (Preservation of the Force and Family) program; he did not exhibit any problematic behavior at that time and was placed on personal leave,” said Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike, the director of public affairs, said in a statement to Fox News. “All relevant records have been turned over to the FBI as the lead investigating agency.”
The latest news that the 37-year-old Army Green Beret was not exhibiting “unwanted behavior” comes after the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) found that Leavelsberger likely suffered from PTSD.
Matthew Livelsberger poses in an undated photo. (Fox News)
At a news conference Friday afternoon, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill spoke about Livelsberger’s struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and his possible motive for the New Year’s Day attack.
“Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, ultimately it appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a highly decorated combat veteran who struggles with PTSD and other issues,” McMahill said.
WHO IS MATTHEW LIVELSBERGER? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE TESLA CYBER TRUCK EXPLOSION
“Honestly, that’s the reason we opened our wellness office here at Metro and take care of the hearts, minds, bodies and souls of the people who do this work, because they encounter things, they see things, they hear things , they feel things and smell things that most normal people don’t have to,” McMahill said.
“And the heroes who serve in the military and on the front lines of America’s police force face such a challenge,” he said. “So I think we need to really pay attention to these people, pay attention to what mental health in America it looks.”
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Alan Livelsberger. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Police officials also released sections of Leavelsberger’s “manifesto” on Friday.
“This was not a terrorist attack, this was a wake-up call,” Livelsberger wrote, according to the truncated notes he shared las vegas police. “Americans pay attention only to spectacle and violence. What better way to get your point across than with a fireworks and explosive stunt?
“Why did I personally do this now? I needed to clear my mind of the brothers I lost and the burden of the lives I took,” he wrote.
“We are the United States of America, the best country that ever existed! But now we are terminally ill and headed for collapse.”
On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
LVMPD Sheriff’s Assistant Dory Coren said Livelsberger died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He noted that the suspect put a gun in his mouth and shot him.
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“We also know, as the sheriff mentioned yesterday, that the suspect had a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Coren said. “The coroner was very specific that it was an intraorbital gunshot wound, which essentially means the suspect put the firearm in his mouth and discharged the gun. And, in the end, the wound came out of the left side of the head.”
