Army officials say Green Beret who died in Cybertruck explosion did not show concerning behaviors before death
The Green Beret who shot himself and blew up a Cybertruck in Las Vegas on Wednesday displayed no concerning behavior prior to the bombing, according to Army public affairs.
Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger was on personal leave from Fort Carson when he rented a Cybertruck in Colorado and drove to Las Vegas. There, the truck — laden with fireworks and camping fuel — exploded.
Investigators say Livelsberger had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump, despite blowing the truck up outside one of his hotels. Police say he had post-traumatic stress disorder.
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“In this particular case, Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger had access to and used the (Preservation of the Force and Family) program; he did not display any concerning behaviors at the time, and was granted personal leave,” said Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike, the Army’s chief of public affairs. “We encourage our soldiers, if they need help, mental health treatment or need to speak with someone, to seek proactive behavioral health treatment either on base or online.”
The Preservation of the Force and Family program provides holistic care in physical, cognitive, medical, and support resources as appropriate to each individual, Azubuike said.
All of Livelsberger’s relevant records were provided to the FBI, she said.
Livelsberger was a member of the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson. He enlisted in January 2006 as an 18X or special forces candidate, according to the Army.
In notes found by police in his phone after the bombing, Livelsberger wrote that his actions were a way for him to cleanse his mind of “the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.”
Livelsberger earned the Bronze Star five times over his career in the Army, including one with a V device for valor under fire, according to the Associated Press. He had recently sought treatment for depression and experienced significant pain and exhaustion.
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Livelsberger claimed the bombing was not a terrorist attack. Instead, he wanted it to serve as a “wake-up call,” adding that Americans only pay attention to “spectacles and violence.”
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A psychiatrist familiar with Special Forces treatment said mental health services for those units include an embedded behavioral health team and funding for residential treatment outside of the military.
The challenge is getting Special Forces soldiers to come forward, he said. The screening tools used during the deployment cycle are also flawed because they were developed for people seeking help.
“We apply these screening tools to presumably healthy young men, hoping that if they’re having problems they’ll be honest in the way that they answer the questions, but they’re not always honest,” he said.




