Police shared excerpts of letters and texts that they allege were sent by Matthew Livelsberger prior to the explosion of his rented Cybertruck outside of Trump Tower in Las Vegas on New Year's Day.
In one letter, the 37-year-old Army Green Beret took responsibility for the blast and called the explosion a “wake-up call.”
During a press conference on Friday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren read from a letter that authorities say was found on Livelsberger's phone. In one excerpt, Livelsberger claimed the incident was a spectacle meant to shake up the American people and his fellow veterans.
"We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves,” Livelsberger wrote in a letter found on his phone. “[The United States is] terminally ill and headed towards collapse.”
In the excerpts shared by law enforcement, Livelsberger wrote that he chose to make an improvised bomb out of fireworks and other explosives as a way to grab the attention of the public.
"Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence," he allegedly wrote. "What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?"
Koren said the letters revealed several motives but highlighted one that centered around Livelsberger's service in the military.
"Why did I personally do it now?" the note read. "I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.”
Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill wasn't yet ready to “conclusively” speak about political leanings, despite reports from family members that Livelsberger was a fan of President-elect Donald Trump.
The FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans claimed in the presser that Livelsberger was “struggling with PTSD and other issues” at the time of the blast. Livelsberger reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot just before the explosion.
The letters are the first indication of motive provided by police in the case. Despite the condemnation of American leadership and the location of the attack – outside a hotel bearing Trump’s name – law enforcement officials don’t believe it was an act of terror. Authorities shared their belief that any connections to a similar attack in New Orleans on the same day are coincidental.
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