by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The man confirmed to be the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck, which exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, was revealed to have been born in Arizona. U.S. Army Green Beret, Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger, traveled through the state en route from his home in Colorado Springs to Las Vegas in a Las Vegas Metro Police Department press briefing.
During the 24-minute press conference on Thursday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Sheriff Kevin McMahill shared that the identity of the man in the truck has not been confirmed, but authorities are highly confident in the identification of Livelsberger. They remain confident based on military identification, a passport, and credit cards recovered from the vehicle, as well as human remains with partially visible tattoos. Arizona was confirmed as the subject’s birthplace by his passport.
In a post to X, the LVMPD summarized the briefing writing, “Yesterday, January 1, 2025, at approximately a.m., LVMPD responded to a vehicle explosion involving a Tesla Cyber Truck at a hotel property on Fashion Show Drive. One person was found deceased in the vehicle, and seven others sustained minor injuries.
Key updates from the investigation:
- The deceased is believed to be Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret. 100% DNA confirmation is pending.
- Detectives tracked Livelsberger’s movements across multiple states leading to Las Vegas.
- Livelsberger died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the explosion occurred.
- Evidence recovered from the vehicle includes firearms, fireworks, gas canisters, and other items.
This is a joint investigation with federal partners, and detectives are working diligently to uncover the motive and any further details.”
WATCH:
The LVMPD later posted to X confirming the man’s identity as Livelsberger per the Clark County Coroner.
Police have determined that the subject in the vehicle died prior to the explosion from a self-inflicted “intraoral gun shot wound” likely inflicted by the .50 caliber Desert Eagle handgun recovered from the vehicle along with an SLR model B30 semi-automatic rifle. The Cybertruck could be seen on video pulling up to the hotel’s valet and exploding 17 seconds later. Seven bystanders were injured.
Summarizing the state of the investigation into the bombing, McMahill shared with reporters that not only was Livelsberger born in Arizona, but he also traveled through the northern portion of the state, determined by tracking the Cybertruck through charging stations in cities including Holbrook, Flagstaff, and Kingman in the hours leading up to the explosion on the Vegas strip.
McMahill explained that the rear of the Cybertruck contained, “gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars.”
Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge with the Las Vegas Field Office, told reporters, “We believe this is an isolated incident. We do not believe that there is a bunch of folks out there supporting this or helping this and we don’t believe that there’s any other danger to the community right now,” according to ABC15.
Livelsberger’s Uncle, Dean Livelsberger, told The Independent that he was baffled by reports that his nephew was involved in the explosion. He told the outlet, “He used to have all patriotic stuff on Facebook, he was 100 percent loving the country.” He continued, “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.”
Dean, himself an Air Force veteran, also expressed confusion at the lack of sophistication in the explosives used. “Matt was a very skilled warrior, and he would be able to make — if it was him, and if he did this — he would’ve been able to make a more sophisticated explosive than using propane tanks and camping fuel. He was what you might call a ‘supersoldier.’ If you ever read about the things he was awarded, and the experience he had, some of it doesn’t make sense, when he had the skills and ability to make something more, let’s say, ‘efficient.’ His skills were enormous from what he had been taught in the military.”
He suggested that, given his nephew’s skill set, he “could have fashioned a bomb that would have obliterated half of that hotel if he seriously wanted to hurt others.”
“Think of Oklahoma City,” he added. “McVeigh was just a normal soldier. Not a Tier 1 operator like Matt.”
Sheriff Livelsberger also averred from calling the explosion a “suicide mission,” and instead described it as “a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately thereafter.”
Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ San Francisco Division noted similarly, “The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Ahead of the upcoming session, Arizona legislative Republicans are working on commonsense solutions to problems that their constituents are facing.
Late last year, Clay Robinson shared a story on X about the context to a bill introduced by State Representative Pamela Carter for the next legislative session – HB 2009. Robinson wrote, “A couple weeks ago, during deployment pre-mobilization, our JAG officer was signing ADOT vehicle license tax waivers for service members.”
He added, “Of course, I wanted to take advantage of this exemption. When I called ADOT, they had informed me that if I had already paid the tax for the year, I could not use it for a refund and instead could use it when I get back, per existing statute. Understandable, but annoying.”
When Robinson realized that there could be a statutory fix to this issue, he touched base with state legislators in an attempt to make his proposal a reality. According to Robinson, “The fix would be simple: allow for refunds, and create a 30-day window prior to mobilization with valid orders to use the exemption.”
In addition to Carter, who introduced the legislation, Robinson thanked her colleagues, Representatives Matthew Gress, John Gillette, and Rachel Jones, “for being responsive and open to constituent ideas.”
Gress responded to Robinson, saying, “Thanks for bringing this idea to us, Clay Robinson. This is what representative government looks like! A great bill sponsored by a great seat mate, Pamela Carter.”
Robinson ended his post with an encouragement to other Arizonans who might have other proposals to bring before their legislators. He said, “All this to say: you DO have a voice in your government. You CAN change the law. Mine is a small change, but I believe it will help more service members in the Arizona National Guard who are mobilized to support contingency operations across the globe and remove unnecessary barriers to financial assistance. HB 2009 still has a long way to go, but I’m excited to be a part of the process, even from a distance!”
The 57th Legislature – First Regular Session is quickly approaching, with Arizona Republicans controlling more seats in both the state House and Senate than the previous two years. Republicans will be again forced to contend with a divided state government with Democrat Katie Hobbs occupying the Governor’s Office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan has taken his oath and is geared up to begin his term after 40 years of moving up in the ranks. In an interview with FOX 10’s Brian Webb, Sheridan set out his agenda for leading the law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the fourth most-populist county in the nation.
“I wore that uniform for 40 years, said deputy sheriff on it, and now my patch says sheriff,” Sheridan told Webb. “I don’t think the reality has kicked in.”
On Jan. 2nd, just under 48 hours into his new role, Sheridan sat for the interview and set out his top priorities. The first crisis he intends to tackle is homelessness. “I’ve reached out to some of the [Non-Governmental Organizations] that help with some of the missions, and I’ve already had discussions with them about what we can do to help you get people off the street,” he told Fox10.
Sheridan will also be placing a huge emphasis on collaborating with the second Trump administration on immigration enforcement in a return to the path blazed by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “I will focus on arresting criminals now,” he told Webb. “Whether they’re illegal aliens or not, doesn’t matter to me.”
In a post to X he wrote, “Spent my first 9 hours as Sheriff with the people that keep us all safe; our detention officers, deputies & 911 operators. I am so proud of the work they do & to be their Sheriff.”
At the outset though, there are some internal matters that Sheridan will need to address, such as resurrecting the county’s volunteer posse system, which was placed under review by Sheriff Penzone in 2017 and criticized by several media outlets for its long-time association with Sheriff Arpaio. Sheridan also told the outlet he will be directing a lot of his attention to ramping up staffing in the agency which employs about 3,500 personnel out of an allotted 4,000, according to the agency’s website. Per ABC15 reporting from September, the department is currently shorthanded by about 800 detention officers.
Sheridan also took time to push back on media criticisms for his membership in the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA). To which he responded, “Don’t forget, I took an oath to support the Constitution of United States and the constitution in laws of the State of Arizona, and I will be faithful to that oath.”
Sheridan shared video of his sign on in a brief broadcast to the department in the opening minutes of 2025. “It’s an honor to be your new sheriff,” Sheridan said. “It’s an honor and pleasure to work with everybody because I know you act with integrity.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 6, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s population has exploded over the past three decades, thanks, in part, to movement from states under the control of leftist politicians.
Recently, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shared data from the Internal Revenue Service, showing that almost 1.5 million individuals have migrated to Arizona from other states, between the years of 1990-2021.
The Grand Canyon State’s gain has been due to other left-leaning states’ loss. California, for example, has shed more than 4.6 million people during that timeframe. New York lost over 4.6 million people as well, and Illinois said ‘goodbye’ to another 2 million individuals.
It wasn’t just Arizona that benefited from the migration patterns of people for the past thirty years. More than 3.7 million people made their way to Florida, and another 2.6 million individuals relocated to Texas.
In an op-ed for Newsweek, Edward J. Pinto, the Senior Fellow and Codirector of the AEI Housing Center, wrote, “For the past 30 years, progressive policies have fueled a mass exodus of the citizens of California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, whether with high-, middle-, or blue collar incomes. From 1990 to 2021, net domestic migration fleeing their states has totaled 13 million… Meanwhile, the red states of Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Tennessee, Nevada, and South Carolina have had net in-migration of 13 million over the same period.”
Pinto added, “If these blue state governors want to reverse this mass out migration, time is of the essence. They should focus on enacting the kinds of policies that drew their erstwhile residents to Florida and Texas: lowering taxes, getting tough on crime, promoting deregulation, reforming public pensions, enacting school choice, enforcing immigration laws, helping blue-collar workers find good paying jobs, ending rent control where prevalent, and adopting light-touch density (LTD) and livable urban villages(LUV). LTD and LUV legalize homes built by the free market that are affordable and inclusionary.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who served eight years as the state’s chief executive, reacted to a recent article from Fox News about the failure of California’s Gavin Newsom to end homelessness in San Francisco, stating, “The 21st anniversary is coming up… for California residents who are sick of ‘leaders’ who talk big and deliver nothing, there’s a simple solution: UHaul.com.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen told AZ Free News, “Approximately 200 people move to Arizona every day. If you ask why, they will tell you because it is a safe, good place to raise a family and educate your kids. They will also say things like, it is a great place to do business, with low taxes and fewer regulations. What they are really saying is that the state they are fleeing has bad public policy and Arizona has good public policy. This is a direct reflection of the laws passed by the Republican-led legislature.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Mark Lamb signed off ceremonially for the last time as Pinal County Sheriff shortly after midnight on New Years’ Day, ending an eight-year tenure as the top elected law-enforcement official of the county.
In a post to X, accompanying video of his broadcast to the department, Lamb announced that his career in law-enforcement has come to an end. He wrote, “It’s impossible to sum up in one post how I feel tonight! I knew this day would eventually come, but it still doesn’t make it easy. I have loved this career! Thank you does not even begin to justify my gratitude to my family, my command staff, all of the sheriff’s office employees, all of my fellow law enforcement and to my community. This has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life, especially the last eight years as Sheriff of Pinal County. Not only is 2024 coming to an end tonight, my career (in) Law Enforcement has come to an end as well. We gave it a good run! God Bless and Happy New Year!”
Lamb opened his transmission identifying himself by the Sheriff’s callsign ‘Pinal One,’ and offered his emotional thanks to county dispatchers, deputies, corrections officers, employees, posses, COPs and his command staff. He closed his remarks by asking dispatch to show him as the police-standard ‘ten-code’ of 10-7 “Out of service,” which typically signifies the end of an officer’s watch or shift, for the final time.
Former gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson thanked Lamb and congratulated him in a statement posted to X, “Arizonans are safer for the work and dedication Sheriff Lamb has put in to defend our communities the last 8 years. In addition to all of the work he’s done, he’s been one of the top advocates in the country for dealing with the problems on our border and been a strong advocate for border security. Thank you, @sherifflamb1, for everything you have done and do on behalf of the people of Arizona!”
In a Dec. 17th interview with KTAR’s Mike Broomhead, Lamb dismissed any further political office in his future following his primary election defeat to Kari Lake. “Politics in my future? It’s not a high probability.” He added, “But I am going to stay involved in the border.”
He told Broomhead that he’s currently working with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR): “I’m gonna stay very active on [the] border and continue to tell people what’s going on there.”
The former Sheriff told KTAR in a statement that he’s hoping to assist the incoming Trump administration in its ongoing efforts to improve border security.
“As this administration begins to form itself out, and they start getting to work and starting to secure our border, holding people accountable who broke the law, I think that there will be some space there to at least consult, or help or sit on some boards or something that has to do with helping these policies,” Lamb said.
He told the outlet that he’s also willing to bring policy suggestions to Congress and work with them to pass more effective laws to address illegal immigration.
“I hope to be of some assistance as we try to fix this border crisis that this administration has created — or really, thrown gas on — over the last four years,” Lamb concluded. “I’m gonna stay in that law enforcement space, mental health space and border security.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The National Retail Federation (NRF), in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council, reported that nationwide shoplifting has increased by an astronomical 93% when compared to 2019 figures. The incidence of shoplifting is up 26% over 2023 numbers. According to the NRF’s, “Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024,” retailers participating in the study logged 177 shoplifting incidents per day in 2023. On some days, that number would spike to over 1,000. In addition, 73% of the retail outlets surveyed warned that shoplifters are acting with significantly increased violence and aggression than in 2019.
David Johnston, NRF vice president of asset protection and retail operations, told FOX Business, “This isn’t what we were used to. This isn’t the shoplifting I was apprehending 30 years ago. These are people who are shoplifting because they know when they have an outlet to sell this merchandise to.”
Referring to the onset of organized retail shoplifting groups that resell stolen goods, he said, “Not every shoplifter is going out there and selling their stolen goods online or at a flea market. They’re selling them in larger mass quantities to these local, regional or transnational organizations who are helping to feed the system.”
In Arizona, the opposite seems to be true. Shoplifting is down according to Department of Public Safety statistics from 41,519 incidents in 2019 to 34,587 in 2023, a decrease of approximately 17% with incomplete data for 2024 showing just 29,832 incidents. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told Fox 10 that in 2023, her office received approximately 600 submittals for the charge of organized retail theft. Mitchell warned at the time that the number was increasing.
“Arizona, specifically Maricopa County, will not tolerate this type of offense that is driving retailers to close stores, to hurt the communities that the stores are located in, and driving people out of business,” Mitchell told the outlet.
The NRF report shows that retailers who are capable of tracking organized retail theft saw a 57% increase on average in these incidents from 2022 to 2023. The organization is advocating for the passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would increase federal level coordination with state and local level law enforcement.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
