This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows a passport belonging to Matthew Livelsberger, found inside a Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Police Department via AP) A decorated Green Beret who took his life on New Year’s Day and triggered an explosion in a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas was involved in a counseling program designed for special operations troops involved in high-risk operations.
Army Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger , 37, signed up for the Preservation of the Force and Family program, a resiliency initiative established in 2010 by the U.S. Special Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike , chief of Army public affairs, said Saturday.
“He did not display any concerning behaviors at the time, and was granted personal leave,” Gen. Azubuike said. “All relevant records were provided to the FBI as the lead investigative agency.”
Law enforcement officials in Las Vegas said the evidence indicates that Sgt. Livelsberger , a veteran of multiple combat tours, had post-traumatic stress disorder when he pulled up to the Trump International Hotel on New Year’s Day and set off the explosives.
Investigators recovered a cellphone that offered clues as to a possible motive. Sgt. Livelsberger used a note-taking app to document his thoughts about political and personal grievances. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department read part of the journal aloud during a press conference.
“We are the United States of America, the best country [and] people to ever exist, but right now, we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse. This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake-up call,” Sheriff Koren read. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?”
The Green Beret wrote that the U.S. was led by “feckless” government officials concerned only with accumulating wealth and power.
Sgt. Livelsberger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group in Germany when he signed off on leave and returned to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the rest of the unit […]
Green Beret who blew up truck at Trump hotel in Las Vegas took part in Army mental health program
