The soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas used ChatGPT to help plan the attack, according to Las Vegas police.
The 37-year-old Green Beret, Matthew Livelsberger, who had been deployed twice to Afghanistan, conducted online searches related to explosives, ammunition, and the legality of fireworks in Arizona.
Livelsberger, who died by suicide just before the explosion occurred, had been researching how certain types of ammunition would travel and looked up potential targets for explosives, police revealed. A laptop, cellphone, and watch are still being analyzed nearly a week after the incident.
The attack, which caused minor injuries to seven individuals but caused little damage to the hotel, was reportedly a “stunt” aimed at raising awareness about the nation’s issues. In notes found by authorities, Livelsberger referred to needing to “cleanse” himself of the burden from the lives he had taken, referencing his experiences in Afghanistan.
Livelsberger, who lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, expressed political grievances and societal frustrations in his writings, including references to the war in Ukraine and warnings about the US heading toward collapse. He wrote that the country was “terminally ill” and that there was a need for people to “rally around” both President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, contradicting any personal animosity toward Trump.
Police have stated that Livelsberger acted alone and that his motives were not linked to any specific political figure, despite the symbolism of the Cybertruck and Trump Hotel.
Meanwhile, a separate attack in New Orleans on the same day, which killed 14 people, was carried out using Meta Ray-Bans, but authorities have confirmed the two incidents were unrelated.
