Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that there is a connection between the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas and a similar attack in New Orleans, as both vehicles were rented from the same car rental site, Turo.
The explosion occurred early Thursday morning when a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, reportedly rented through the car-sharing platform Turo, erupted in flames outside the Trump International Hotel’s main entrance. The blast resulted in one death and seven injuries, according to Las Vegas police.
Elon Musk on X said, “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.” Investigators confirmed that the explosion originated from materials stored in the truck’s bed, including fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel.
These were connected to a detonation system believed to have been controlled by the driver. Reacting to the explosion Elon Musk, the company’s founder, lauded the build quality of the vehicle saying the “evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack”.
Both vehicles involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans incidents were rented through Turo, a car-renting company. Turo’s spokesperson stated that the company is cooperating fully with law enforcement and noted that neither renter had a criminal background that would have flagged them as security threats.
