“There is no evidence that these two events are connected,” Las Vegas FBI agent Spencer Evans told reporters Friday as officials released new information about the incident.
“The investigation found, and Army records show, that he likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and we also know that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that could have been contributing factors,” — Mr. Evans. said.
Evidence recovered from Mr Livelsberger’s phone, including a series of notes he appeared to have written, suggested the 37-year-old suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his time in combat, officials said.
His body was found inside a charred Tesla, which had exploded from fireworks Mr Livelsberger had purchased on his way to Las Vegas from Colorado.
Mr. Livelsberger’s identity was confirmed through a DNA sample that authorities obtained from a family member.
Police said he also suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the digital notes found by police, Livelsberger also mentioned political grievances, urging his fellow officers to criticize the military leadership.
In another note, police said he specifically wrote that the incident was “not a terrorist attack” but a “wake-up call.”
Mr Livelsberger was a decorated special forces intelligence sergeant who had served in Germany but was on leave at the time of the blast.
His father told the American partner of the BBC CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.
He said he last spoke to his son on Christmas Day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Mr. Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend said the Washington Post, external that he once told her that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury during his overseas assignment. Alicia Arith, a 39-year-old nurse who dated Mr. Livelsberger from 2018 to 2021, said he admitted to struggling with memory, concentration and intense guilt over his actions on the battlefield.
The Daily Beast reported that Mr. Leavelsberger was a big Trump supporter. A senior law enforcement official who spoke to Mr. Livelsberger’s family told the paper that he voted for Trump in the November election.
Police were able to track his movements days before the incident thanks to surveillance cameras and other data obtained from the Tesla car itself.
They said Mr Livelsberger rented a Tesla Cybertruck from a mobile app called Turo in Colorado on December 28 and drove it more than 800 miles to Las Vegas. During this period, he also legally purchased two firearms, which were found in the car.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said the authorities had not determined why Mr. Livelsberger chose the site of the explosion near the Trump Hotel, but added that evidence suggested it was one of several locations he was considering.
As a result of the explosion, seven people were slightly injured. All have since been released from the hospital, Sheriff McMahill said.
He added that the investigation is ongoing and that police are “barely scratching the surface” of the data they have recovered from the man’s devices.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line. Help and support outside the UK can be found at Befrienders Worldwide or by calling the US Suicide and Crisis Response Service on 988.
