'SUICIDE MISSION'
Heartbreaking motive of Cybertruck bomber who shot himself outside Trump hotel days after haunting posts
Those close to the bomber have opened up about his mental health struggles
THE decorated Green Beret who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck on New Year's Day and shot himself in the head was suffering from PTSD, investigators have revealed.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, had been dumped by his wife just days before he drove the fuel-cannister-filled Tesla to the doorstep of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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In disturbing posts, the soldier claimed the bombing wasn't a terror attack, but a way to "cleanse his mind" of the brothers he had lost.
"This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake-up call," he wrote in his phone's notes app.
"Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives."
He went on to say he was carrying out the shocking act "to cleanse my mind of the brothers I've lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took."
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The firebomb, triggered around 9 am, injured seven pedestrians and sparked fresh terror fears because it came just hours after deranged ISIS admirer and Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar murdered 14 people in New Orleans.
However, according to the latest update, law enforcement has found no connection between the two incidents other than superficial similarities.
In a solemn press conference on Friday, investigators revealed Livelsberger was a tragic victim of mental health struggles.
Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump hotel after driver 'fatally shot himself,' cops say
Heartbroken former partners of the fallen soldier have given an inside look at his final days before the bombing.
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His wife, with whom he shared a child, reportedly said she wanted to leave him six days before he died by suicide, sources told the .
She had accused him of cheating and said their relationship was over.
Alicia Arritt, who dated Livelsberger from 2018 to 2021, revealed the fallen soldier got a brain injury during his years of service in the Army.
This was not a terrorist attack
Matthew Livelsberger
In an emotional interview with The Denver Gazette, she described him as "the kindest man I ever knew" and said, "He got me through a difficult time. "
Days before his death, Livelsberger made the now-concerning decision to reach out to Arritt and show off the Cybertruck he had just picked up.
On December 29, he texted his ex to say that driving the Tesla made him "feel like Batman" and sent pictures of the ride to say, "It's the s**t."
Who was Shamsud Din Jabbar?
THE man police suspect drove his car into a crowd of New Year's Eve revellers in New Orleans was 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.
He is believed to have killed 14 people in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack before cops shot him dead.
More details are emerging about the US Army veteran who was born and lived in Texas.
Jabbar had a criminal history after being arrested in Katy, Texas, in 2002 for misdemeanor theft.
He was also arrested in 2005 for driving without an invalid license.
Documents viewed by The U.S. Sun confirmed Jabbar held a real estate license from 2019 until it expired in February 2021.
In a YouTube video uploaded on May 12, 2020, Jabbar introduced himself as a Team Lead for the Midas Group and Property Manager at Blue Meadow Properties.
He shared that he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, but was living in Houston at the time of the video.
During his 10-year stint in the Army, Jabbar said he served as a human resources specialist and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015.
He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.
Between 2015 and 2020 he served in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist, the Army said.
Jabbar is a dad to two daughters and had two previous wives.
It's unclear when his second divorce happened, but court files show that a restraining order was granted against him in 2020.
The New York Times reported a court document that the suspect filed in August 2022 as part of a divorce proceeding said he worked at the accounting firm Deloitte and made about $120,000 a year.
A ISIS flag was found in the truck by cops following the attack after it had been attached to a pole on the truck's trailer hitch, the FBI said.
Jabbar had only converted to Islam within the last year and was "being all crazy" the new husband of his ex-wife said, the New York Times reports.
Arritt continued to have a casual conversation with Livelsberger but was left wondering why he chose to randomly reach out.
Livelsberger's heartbroken father, Roger, said his son "loved the Army and loved America," reported.
He had been stationed in Germany working for the special forces but was on an approved leave when he died.
When he was due to return, he instead rented the Tesla, bought two guns, and took a 1,000-mile journey from his home in Denver, Colorado, to Las Vegas.
COINCIDENTAL SIMILARITIES
Shortly after the Cybertruck explosion, several similarities were pointed out between it and the New Orleans terrorist attack and between Livelsberger and Jabbar, who was also a US Army veteran.
On Friday, the FBI admitted the Cybertruck bomber used the same rental service as Jabbar, who got a Chevrolet Silverado so he could plow through New Year's partiers.
They also announced that Livelsberger briefly served at the same military base in North Carolina where Jabbar was previously stationed.
However, they said the two had no relationship as they uncovered notes written by Livelsberger that stated his death wasn't a terrorist attack.
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If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on , or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
VETERANS CRISIS LINE
If you or someone you know is a veteran affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can alternatively dial 988 and then press one to access the Veterans Crisis Line, chat on or text 838255.
There are also many veterans-founded private organizations that provide support to America's heroes:
- supported more than 21,000 veterans in 2024 alone.
- provides free legal assistance to homeless, low-income, and at-risk or disabled veterans.
- was founded in 2005 to assist severely wounded warriors.
- helps former soldiers to find and retain jobs at the end of their service.
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