Police release dramatic pictures of explosives packed into Cybertruck that blew up outside Trump hotel in Vegas – as insiders reveal chilling links to New Orleans terror attack

Police have released a series of photos from inside the Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, revealing an arsenal of explosives.

The driver of the Elon Musk-owned Tesla Cybertruck, who has not yet been formally identified, died in the explosion and seven members of the public were injured.

Hours earlier, Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, drove an electric vehicle into the crowd in New Orleans, killing 15 pedestrians and injuring dozens of others.

Law enforcement sources have since revealed that the cars used in both attacks were rented through Turo and that they were both electric vehicles, raising concerns that there is a link.

The police announced on Wednesday afternoon that they are currently investigating possible links and have not yet ruled anything out.

‘Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know,’ he said. “We are definitely exploring any connections to New Orleans.”

At a news conference, agents investigating the incident revealed that the Cybertruck was hired from Turo in Colorado and driven across the border into Nevada at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The explosion occurred just an hour later.

Agents have also surmised that the driver may have purposefully chosen to use one of Musk’s cars to send a message, given Musk’s newfound friendship with President-elect Donald Trump.

“It’s a Tesla truck, we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump and it’s the Trump hotel, so there’s obviously something to look at,” he said.

But the driver’s decision to send a message with the Cybertruck may have been a small silver lining to the tragedy. Authorities reiterated a comment Musk made earlier today that the Cybertruck’s structure contained the explosives.

“The fact that this was a Cybertruck greatly limited the damage,” police said.

‘It caused most of the damage to increase rather than decrease. The front glass doors of the Trump Hotel weren’t even broken by that explosion.”

Wednesday’s Cybertruck explosion is “probably an act of terror,” Musk previously said, and occurred just hours after the New Orleans tragedy that killed 15 people.

According to Las Vegas police, the $80,000 car was seen in a fiery fire outside the hotel’s revolving doors, killing one person and injuring seven around 9 a.m.

On Wednesday afternoon, Musk revealed that the explosion was caused by “a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck” or “very large fireworks.”

He said the explosion was not caused by or related to the vehicle itself, and that the unnamed driver had rented the truck with the help of Turo.

“Police currently believe it was most likely intentional,” he added.

‘Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Maybe they’re connected somehow.’

An insider said network authorities obtained CCTV footage showing the Cybertruck driving past the hotel an hour earlier and returning to the parking lot seconds before the explosion.

Musk said, “Tesla vehicles continuously communicate their health status,” meaning his team was able to check if something was wrong with the car’s mechanics before the explosion.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill had previously revealed that police are treating the explosion as an act of terrorism.

Hours earlier, Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, drove an electric vehicle into the crowd in New Orleans, killing 15 pedestrians and injuring dozens of others.

He said, “With the event that has occurred [in New Orleans]and the victims there, and the additional IEDs, so as you can imagine, if there’s an explosion here on our iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we’re taking every precaution we need to take to keep the community safe.”

The FBI is also investigating the Vegas incident – while Musk confirmed his company is investigating the fatal ordeal.

Musk, who has become a close friend of the new president, wrote: “Tesla’s entire senior team is currently investigating this matter. We’ve never seen anything like it.

“Cybertruck is the worst possible choice for a car bomb because the stainless steel armor will contain the blast better than any other commercial vehicle.”

The official cause of the explosion and fire is currently unknown, but an unidentified official briefed on the incident told ABC News there was a load of fireworks-like mortars in the vehicle.

The police are investigating whether the deceased driver deliberately set off the explosives.

Surveillance footage showed the truck outside the main entrance. Seconds later, the entire car exploded, with the roof first going up in flames.

There was smoke as it pinged off the sidewalk and sparks that looked like fireworks could be seen lighting up the cloud of black smoke coming from the vehicle.

After the explosion, we saw large orange flames crawling out of the Cybertruck’s windows before more explosive sounds were heard.

Fire alarms sounded in the posh building, where penthouse suites can cost up to $2,600 a night. It is unclear whether hotel guests have been evacuated.

The explosion left a large cloud of smoke billowing from the Trump Hotel on Fashion Show Drive, alarming locals and tourists.

Tesla’s Cybertrucks are the third best-selling EV in the US – with approximately 27,185 units sold by October 2024.

The oddly shaped vehicles have been controversial since their unveiling in 2019, but the company continues to brag about the large waiting lists for the cars.

The Las Vegas ordeal came just hours after a deranged US veteran rammed his rented Ford truck into revelers celebrating the New Year in New Orleans.

The Texas-born terrorist had an ISIS flag draped on the back of the vehicle when he drove into the crowd, killing at least 15 people.

The driver got out and started firing a gun. Investigators later added that they found what appeared to be improvised explosive devices at the crash site that failed to detonate.

The FBI said they do not believe the terrorist acted alone, and initially investigated surveillance footage that showed three men and a woman planting one of several improvised explosive devices in the area.

One person staying at the Trump hotel today, Stephen Felando, heard the “huge explosion” as it was happening.

“Something big just exploded here,” he said in a speech X video. “Something just happened in the valet… I don’t know what just happened, but something blew up.”

Felando said the windows were “shaking” and shaking.

DailyMail.com attempted to contact Las Vegas police.

Eric Trump made a statement on social media after the horrific explosion, writing, “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remains our top priority.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their quick response and professionalism.”