Investigators have revealed that the Green Beret who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck on New Year's Day and shot himself was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, had been served with divorce papers just days before he drove his Tesla filled with a gas can to the doorstep of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The firebomb, which went off around 9 a.m., injured seven bystanders and raised new terror fears, as a deranged ISIS fan, Shams al-Din Jabbar, had just killed 14 people in New Orleans hours earlier.
As the days passed, more parallels were drawn between Livelsperger and the ailing killer, Jabbar – who was also a US Army veteran.
However, investigators separated the two at a formal press conference where they revealed that Livelsberger was a tragic victim of mental health struggles.
On Friday, the FBI admitted that the Cybertruck attacker used the same rental service as Jabbar, who obtained a Chevrolet Silverado so he could participate in New Year's Eve parties.
They also announced that Livelsberger briefly served at the same military base in North Carolina where Jabbar was previously stationed.
However, they said there was no connection between the two, as they discovered notes written by Levelsberger stating that his death was not a terrorist attack.
The soldier's heartbroken former partners have given an inside look at his final days before the bombing.
Alicia Ariete, who dated Livelsberger from 2018 to 2021, revealed that the slain soldier suffered a brain injury during his years in the military.
In an emotional interview with the Denver Gazette, she called him “the nicest man I've ever known” and said, “He helped me get through a tough time.”
Days before his death, Livelsperger made the now disturbing decision to reach out to Ariete and show off the Cybertruck he had just picked up.
On December 29, he texted his ex to say driving a Tesla made him “feel like Batman” and sent photos of the trip to say: “It's amazing.”
Ariete continued to have a casual conversation with Levelsberger but was left wondering why he chose to reach out so randomly.
The disturbing posts uncovered by investigators also showed signs that the soldier was facing mental deterioration before the explosion.
Investigators announced Friday that they had discovered notes left by Livelsberger detailing some of the personal struggles and grievances she was experiencing.
This was not a terrorist attack
Matthew Livelsperger
The notes stressed that his death was not a terrorist attack, and that police were able to determine the motive.
Tragic ending
Livelsberger's grieving father, Roger, said his son “loved the military and loved America,” CBS News reported.
He was stationed in Germany working with the Special Forces, but was on approved leave when he died.
When he was scheduled to return, he instead rented a Tesla, bought two guns, and made the 1,000-mile trip from his home in Denver, Colorado, to Las Vegas.
Who is Shams al-Din Jabbar?
The man who police suspect drove his car into a crowd of New Year's Eve revelers in New Orleans is 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.
He is believed to have killed 14 people in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack before he was shot dead by police.
More details are emerging about the US Army veteran who was born and raised in Texas.
Jabbar had a criminal history after his arrest in Katy, Texas, in 2002 on charges of robbery.
He was also arrested in 2005 for driving without an invalid license.
Documents seen by The US Sun confirmed that 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 leader for Midas Group and a property manager at Blue Meadow Real Estate.
He shared that he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, but was living in Houston at the time the video surfaced.
Jabbar said that during his 10-year service in the Army, he worked as a human resources specialist and information technology 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 information technology specialist, the Army said.
Jabbar is a father of two daughters and has two previous wives.
It is unclear when his second divorce occurred, but court files show that a restraining order was granted against him in 2020.
The New York Times reported that a court document filed by the suspect in August 2022 as part of divorce proceedings said he was working for the accounting firm Deloitte and earning about $120,000 a year.
The FBI said officers found an ISIS flag in the truck after the attack after it had been attached to a pole on the truck's trailer hitch.
Jabbar had converted to Islam just last year, and was “absolutely crazy,” the new husband told his ex-wife, the New York Times reported.
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 at 988lifeline.org, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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