Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger had to be identified by his tattoos

Police have revealed the way they identified the man at the centre of the Cybertruck explosion after his body was left “charred”.

Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger had to be identified by his tattoos after his body was left “unrecognisable” during the explosion at the Trump Las Vegas hotel, police said.

Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill revealed to reporters on Thursday that Mr Livelsberger, 37, was found inside the vehicle with a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head, the NY Post reports.

The US army member had to be identified via his tattoos.

A charred gun was also found in the car. Picture: Las Vegas Police

Mr McMahill added that a handgun was found at the feet of Mr Livelsberger, whose body was so badly burned, he could not be identified.

It was unclear what weapon Livelsberger allegedly used to kill himself, but police said they found a Desert Eagle .50 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the car, along with other semi-automatic weapons that were also charred.

Mr Livelsberger’s Military ID, passport, phone and smartwatch inside the burnt vehicle – which was vital in identifying him.

Mr McMahill said police were able to certify Mr Livelsberger was the man inside the car due to two distinct tattoos on his charred remains.

The blast at Trump Tower. Picture: Instagram/Alcides Antunes

Matthew Livelsberger’s body was found badly burned inside the truck. Picture: Las Vegas Police

Officials remain on the hunt for a motive, with Spencer Evans, the FBI special agent in charge, vowing that the agency would pursue all the tips coming in on Mr Livelsberger.

Mr Evans added that the FBI was looking into the possibility that the attack was politically motivated given that it occurred at a hotel owned by president-elect Donald Trump and with a vehicle from Trump-ally Elon Musk.

Matthew Livelsberger’s ID recovered from the explosion. Picture: Las Vegas Police

“It’s not lost on us that it happened in front of the Trump building and a Tesla vehicle was used,” Mr Evans said.

So far, law enforcement does not believe Mr Livelsberger had any help carrying out the explosion, with surveillance cameras tracking him all alone on his trip from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas.

Investigators photograph a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel. Picture: Wade Vandervort/AFP

Tesla charging stations pinged Mr Livelsberger travelling south and then west through at least eight other recharging hubs as he headed to Vegas.

He was seen alone at the stations, with no one else ever coming in or out the Cybertruck, which Mr Livelsberger rented on the Turo app by himself, police said.

The charred remains of the Cybertruck after the fire was extinguished by first responders. Picture: Las Vegas Police

Mr McMahill said Mr Livelsberger did not seem to have any criminal record on file in Las Vegas, but noted that police are investigating one possible incident involving the suspect that occurred years ago.

Shocking footage caught the moment the car erupted outside the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel just before 9am local time on Wednesday.

Loud bangs can be heard throughout the short video as black smoke fills the Nevada air.

The Cybertruck was ripped apart, with its metal panelling flying across the street. Up to seven people were injured.

Another video showed investigators using a black fire-retardant tarp to put out the blaze and the charred remains of the truck bed.

Gas and fuel canisters were left behind along with the remnants of more than a dozen firework mortars.

Elon Musk, whose company Tesla makes the Cybertruck model, claimed the blast was “terrorism” related.

In a post to X, Mr Musk claimed it had been confirmed that the explosion was caused by “very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck”.

He said the incident, which saw the car burst into flames, is “unrelated to the vehicle itself”.

“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Mr Musk said.

Investigators revealed that “large firework mortars” and gas canisters were found in the back of the vehicle.

Mr Musk went on to claim the “evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack”.

“Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” he said.

Who was Matthew Livelsberger?

Authorities have told reporters they have been left perplexed by the incident, as Mr Livelsberger was an active member of the army with no criminal history – described by his colleagues as a good soldier who raised no obvious concerns.

A serving service member from Colorado, Mr Livelsberger was based in Germany but in the US for the holiday season, officials said.

Mr Livelsberger was an active member of the army.

He lived in Colorado Springs and was married to social worker Sara Livelsberger.

Mr Livelsberger was a member of 10th Special Forces Group, and had recently deployed in Europe, defence officials told the Wall St Journal. He also served in Afghanistan, Congo and Tajikistan.

The defence officials said he had earned a Bronze Star with valour.

Livelsberger was a serving US Army service member from Colorado. Picture: Supplied

Matthew Livelsberger shot himself in the head before his Tesla cybertruck exploded. Picture: Facebook

He had served for 19 years in either the active duty or reserve, the officials said, and had no disciplinary problems.

Two relatives of Livelsberger confirmed to CBS he had rented the Cybertruck but were unaware of him having any involvement in the incident. One relative said Livelsberger’s wife had not heard from him in several days.

His uncle Dean Livelsberger told The Independent that his nephew was ‘100 per cent a patriot’, and described him as a ‘Rambo-type.’

“He used to have all patriotic stuff on Facebook, he was 100 per cent loving the country,” he said.

“He loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American. It’s one of the reasons he was in Special Forces for so many years. It wasn’t just one tour of duty.”

Mr Livelsberger’s LinkedIn profile also states he has a proficiency in French and is an expert in aircraft systems.

Originally published as Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger had to be identified by his tattoos