Breaking: Authorities Treating Cybertruck Explosion Outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas as Possible Act of Terror

Authorities are treating Wednesday morning’s Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas as a possible act of terrorism.

Before it exploded, the all-electric Cybertruck was parked in the valet area outside the Las Vegas hotel. The vehicle had apparently been loaded with fireworks, as security footage circulating on social media seems to indicate. The fire was extinguished and the public was told to avoid the area.

One unidentified person who remained inside the vehicle was confirmed dead, according to media reports. At least seven other people suffered minor injuries, with two of them transported to a nearby hospital.

Police have not yet shared any motive for the fiery blast or confirmed whether the incident was intentional. Law enforcement is trying to determine the cause of the explosion and leaving open the possibility that it was an act of terrorism and a criminal act, ABC News reported.

It remains to be seen whether the explosion was a coincidence or a message directed at Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, and President-elect Donald Trump. Musk has become a close ally of the incoming president and is set to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency along with Vivek Ramaswamy.

Las Vegas sheriff Kevin McMahill said he believes there is no further threat to the local community but urged the public to stay away from the scene.

Security was heightened following the vehicular explosion. Given its connection to Trump, the namesake hotel has been the subject of threats in the past, including a hoax bomb threat in 2021.

Eric Trump, son of the president-elect, and the hotel both thanked the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their quick response on Wednesday. Musk also responded on social media, saying Tesla has “never seen anything like this.”

The Las Vegas incident comes on the same day that a man rammed a truck into a crowd and fired at police officers in New Orleans, killing at least ten people and injuring 35 others. The attack occurred early New Year’s Day, as revelers were celebrating the holiday.

The New Orleans suspect, whom police shot and killed, was identified by authorities as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was a U.S. citizen from Texas and an Army veteran.

The FBI is leading an ongoing investigation into the New Orleans attack as a potential act of terrorism after an ISIS flag was found in the back of Jabbar’s rented Ford pickup truck. The FBI said it is trying to determine Jabbar’s "potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations" and find any other suspects who may have been working with him.

"We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible," Alethea Duncan, New Orleans FBI assistant special agent in charge, told reporters. "We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates."