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The Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was rented on Turo, Las Vegas police said.
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The app was also used to rent the truck used in the New Orleans attack.
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President Biden said that authorities are looking into whether the two incidents were connected.
A Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on Wednesday in Las Vegas was rented on Turo, the same app used to rent the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack, Las Vegas police said.
“I’m being told that New Orleans was rented through Turo, and so was ours,” Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a press conference. “That’s another coincidence that absolutely is continuing to bear from our investigation that we have to continue to look into.”
Turo is a car-sharing app that lets private car owners rent out their vehicles. It is similar to Airbnb or Vrbo but for vehicles instead of homes.
In a statement to Business Insider, Turo confirmed the truck used in the New Orleans attack was rented on the service.
“We are heartbroken to learn that one of our host’s vehicles was involved in this awful incident,” the statement reads. “We are actively partnering with the FBI. We are not currently aware of anything in this guest’s background that would have identified him as a trust and safety threat to us at the time of the reservation.”
Turo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI about the Las Vegas Cybertruck.
The San Francisco-based company offers a wide range of cars, from Toyotas and Jeeps to Porsches and Teslas, and is active in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and France. Investors include the venture arms of American Express, BMW, and Liberty Mutual, and top venture capital firms like Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures. Celebrity investors include rapper 2 Chainz and NBA and NFL players.
Turo has close to 1,000 employees and was valued at $1.5 billion in 2020, per PitchBook. It registered to go public in 2021 but has not moved forward with the initial public offering.
The company had 360,000 cars listed on its platform last year, according to a March 2024 filing.
In a press conference Wednesday, President Joe Biden said authorities were investigating whether there was any connection between the Las Vegas explosion and the New Orleans attack.
McMahill said at a press conference that the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck was killed and seven others injured after the vehicle exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
“We’re very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans with the event that occurred there, and the number of victims there and the additional IEDs,” McMahill said, referring to an attack in New Orleans that killed 15 on Wednesday morning. “So, as you can imagine, with an explosion here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X that the explosion was “caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb” in the bed of the Cybertruck.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
Read the original article on Business Insider
