The mystery surrounding the New Year’s Day explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas has only deepened following the release of a final police report.
The 78-page “after-action” report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), released Monday, sheds no new light on the attacker’s motive.
The report confirms that Matthew Livelsberger, the suspect who died by suicide before the blast, left a manifesto on his phone that was recovered during forensic analysis.
According to the report, the Department of War declared the manifesto classified.
The investigation has since been turned over to federal authorities.
Explosion Described as “Premeditated”
The report states that Livelsberger, a Green Beret on leave from his Special Forces unit, had rented a Tesla Cybertruck through the car-sharing platform Turo.
Investigators said he filled the vehicle with fireworks, gas cans, and camping fuel, and drove it to the Trump International Hotel shortly after 8:40 a.m. on January 1, 2025, when the vehicle detonated.
The explosion caused property damage and injured six people, as Slay News reported at the time.
LVMPD and federal officials classified the incident as a premeditated vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack “with the potential to cause mass casualties and extensive structural damage.”
However, they stopped short of labeling it terrorism.
Evidence Points to Planning and Intent
Investigators reconstructed Livelsberger’s final days using phone data, bank records, and surveillance footage.
Video evidence reportedly showed him pouring accelerant into the truck bed moments before detonation, which police said demonstrated planning rather than impulse.
Counterterrorism investigators concluded that Livelsberger intended to make “a very big, very public statement,” suggesting that Las Vegas was chosen for its visibility and impact.
Manifesto Declared Classified
While much of Livelsberger’s written material remains sealed, police confirmed that he left behind a note in his phone describing the attack as “not terror-related” but rather a personal act meant to “cleanse” his mind.
“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake-up call,” Livelsberger wrote in the notes app on his phone.
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence.
“What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives,” Livelsberger wrote.
The report also said that one of Livelsberger’s final messages was sent to Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor.
Ongoing Federal Investigation
Officials have not released additional information about Livelsberger’s communications or his specific grievances.
They cited national security restrictions following the transfer of the case to federal jurisdiction.
The Department of War and federal counterterrorism agencies are continuing the investigation to determine whether Livelsberger acted alone or communicated with others prior to the incident.
No additional suspects have been named.
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