Shocking video shows the moment a Tesla Cybertruck explodes
A Tesla Cybertruck sat outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas for just 15 seconds before it exploded.
The San Francisco-based app Turo was used to rent both vehicles in the New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion on New Year’s Day.
“We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families,” a Turo spokesperson told USA TODAY early Thursday.
Around 3:15 a.m. CST Wednesday, an armed man drove a speeding truck into a New Year’s Eve celebration on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter. He killed at least 15 and injured more than 30 people before being shot and killed by police in what the FBI is calling a terrorist assault.
Hours later, around 7:30 a.m. PT, a Tesla Cybertruck parked with gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars near the Trump International Hotel exploded and killed its sole occupant and injured seven. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of terror.
What is Turo?
The San Francisco-based app Turo was used to rent both vehicles in the New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion on New Years Day.
Turo is an app that allows users to rent directly from local car owners in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and France, according to its website. Turo does not own the vehicles but allows hosts on the platform to share their cars and set prices, discounts, availability, and delivery options.
Turo has been compared to Airbnb for cars and trucks, instead of homes, according to NerdWallet.
The app, founded as a start-up in 2009, has been around since 2010. Users in the U.S. must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license.
Turo ‘actively partnering’ with law enforcement
A Turo spokesperson said the company does not believe either renter involved in the attacks “had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat” and was “actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents.”
“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management,” the spokesperson said.
How does Turo work?
An app must be downloaded to use Turo. Users then create a Turo account, select a pick-up address and choose a vehicle. Vehicles include minivans, SUVs, luxury cars, and convertibles.
Hosts can meet guests in person to hand them the keys to a vehicle or provide remote handoffs by providing a lockbox code or allowing people to unlock cars through the app.
What is the latest with the incidents in New Orleans, Las Vegas?
On Thursday, Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, said the preliminary investigation indicated the driver in the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone and described his action as “an act of terrorism.”
This comment reversed a statement by an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office that authorities did not believe Jabbar was “solely responsible.”
“At this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas,” Raia said.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden said the FBI, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the full intelligence community were investigating any potential links between the two incidents with a goal of preventing any future attacks.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speculated Wednesday on his social media site X that the Las Vegas explosion may have been an act of terrorism. He noted that the Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 truck used in New Orleans were rented from Turo.
John Bacon, Josh Meyer and Trevor Hughes contributed to this report.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at [email protected], 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
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