WASHINGTON: Investigators have definitively identified the US soldier responsible for the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas and are treating his act as a suicide, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) said on Friday, reported German news agency (dpa).
FBI investigator Spencer Evans acknowledged that though “this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who was struggling with PTSD and other issues”.
Previously, Las Vegas Municipal Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters that he is “comfortable calling it a suicide”.
It was difficult to identify the person because he was burnt beyond recognition, Evans said.
Matthew Alan L, who also served as a soldier in Afghanistan, shot himself in the head before the detonation of his vehicle and was burned beyond recognition.
Regarding the location of the explosion, investigators clarified that L harboured no animosity towards President-elect Donald Trump. There also remains no indication of any link to the gunman from New Orleans who was shot just a few hours earlier, or to a terrorist organisation.
During the press conference, investigators released excerpts from two of L’s letters. In one, he wrote: “We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now, we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse.”
The man also wrote about his motives.
“This was not a terrorist attack, this was a wake-up call.
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way could there have been to make my point clear than with a stunt involving fireworks and explosives?” – BERNAMA-dpa
