
A view of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Officials said Friday that Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger may have suffered from PTSD, and found a note stating the US was ‘terminally ill.’
A suicide note expressing personal and political grievances was left by the Green Beret soldier responsible for a New Year’s Day explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, but held “no animosity” for President-elect Donald Trump, police said Friday.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters on Friday they had learned of the note left by 37-year-old Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, from documents left on a smartphone recovered by investigators.
The update comes one day after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said Livelsberger died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound seconds before the Tesla Cybertruck he had rented and filled with fireworks and other explosive materials detonated outside the Trump hotel’s valet area on Jan. 1.
The explosion also caused minor injuries to seven people. Excerpts from the note police showed reporters showed Livelsberger felt the US was “terminally ill” and “headed toward collapse.”
“Fellow Servicemembers, Veterans, and all Americans, TIME TO WAKE UP,” the note stated. Police were expected to release the full contents of the letter later Friday.
“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call,” the letter continues. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.”
Spencer Evans, the Las Vegas FBI’s special agent in charge said Friday that Livelsberger suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and reiterated evidence suggesting Livelsberger had acted alone.
“Although 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,” Evans said. “We were also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors.”
Police added a note had also been sent to podcaster Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, and that investigators were working with Ryan to determine the note’s contents.
McMahill said Friday that Livelsberger also had kept a diary on his cellphone that showed he had purchased the handgun retrieved next to Livelsberger’s body, as well as a second firearm also found inside the truck, two days before the Jan. 1 blast.
Asked Friday about whether Livelsberger had been struggling with any mental health issues that may have prompted his suicide, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that “the department has turned over all medical records to local law enforcement,” according to the Associated Press.
A law enforcement official said investigators learned through interviews that he may have gotten into a fight with his wife about relationship issues shortly before he rented the Tesla on Saturday and bought the guns, the AP added. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are still working to determine a motive, and are still churning through terabytes of digital files as the matter remains under investigation. Among the charred items found inside the truck were a handgun at Livelsberger’s feet, another firearm, fireworks, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone and a smartwatch, McMahill said. Authorities said both guns were purchased legally.
Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners. He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said. He had recently returned from an overseas assignment in Germany and was on approved leave when he died, according to a U.S. official.
He was awarded a total of five Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor.
Authorities searched a townhouse in Livelsberger’s hometown Thursday as part of the investigation. Neighbors said the man who lived there had a wife and a baby.
The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 14 people before being shot to death by police. The FBI says they believe Jabbar acted alone and that it is being investigated as a terrorist attack.
Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found “no definitive link” between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available through the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 at any time. Live chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.

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