Matthew Livelsberger Puts Veteran PTSD in Spotlight Again
January 4, 2025
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The FBI’s revelation that Las Vegas Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has put a renewed spotlight on the condition and its impact on the veteran community.
On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck that had been driven by Livelsberger, a 37-year-old special forces soldier, exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas causing minor injuries to seven people. According to investigators, Livelsberger died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head shortly before the explosions took place. An improvised device consisting of gas cannisters and large fireworks was used to make the explosion.
Newsweek contacted the FBI for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Las Vegas FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer Evans said Livelsberger had been “struggling with PTSD and other issues” before he carried out the attack.
Between 2014 and 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for active duty Army soldiers, with 2,530 taking their own lives during this period, substantially more than those who died in combat.
What To Know
PTSD is a mental health condition that develops after an individual experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, such as combat, natural disasters, serious accidents, or personal assault.
It is characterized by intrusive symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts related to the trauma, along with emotional distress when exposed to reminders of the event. People with PTSD may also exhibit avoidance behaviors, steering clear of situations, places, or conversations that could trigger memories of the trauma.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about seven percent of those who serve in the military later suffer from PTSD, with this figure rising threefold among those who had been on active deployment.
The department said: “Veterans are more likely to develop PTSD than civilians. Among Veterans, those who deploy are more likely to have PTSD than Veterans who do not. Also, Veterans who use VA [Veterans Affairs] for health care are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than those who use community health services. This may be due, in part, because VA screens for MST [Military Sexual Trauma] and PTSD for all Veteran patients.”
This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows the Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Matthew Livelsberger, the alleged bomber, had been been “struggling with… This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows the Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Matthew Livelsberger, the alleged bomber, had been been “struggling with PTSD and other issues” before he carried out the attack according to the FBI.
Las Vegas Police Department via AP
Livelsberger served in the military for 19 years and did several tours in Afghanistan. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also served in Tajikistan and was awarded the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award for his service to the U.S. embassy in the central Asian country.
In August 2024, the Food and Drug Administration announced it had not approved midomafetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for treating PTSD.
The move was condemned by non-profit groups Heroic Hearts Project and Healing Breakthrough, who in a joint statement said: “This is the epitome of bureaucratic red tape—and the result is people will keep dying. MDMA-AT is the most effective treatment ever developed for PTSD, a condition at the core of the Veteran suicide crisis that claims over 17 lives each day.”
What People Are Saying
In an article for CBS News published in July 2024 the network’s journalist Chip Reid, author of Battle Scars, said: “In the early years of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we failed as a nation to respond to a mental health crisis in the military. Let’s make sure that this time around we give our returning troops the mental health services they need and deserve.”
With reference to PTSD, the American Psychiatric Association website says: “Many trauma survivors feel helpless, which may lead a concerned spouse, family member or friend to want to help. Perhaps the most powerful approach is to just be there for the person, show acceptance and concern, and listen without being judgmental or giving advice.”
What Happens Next
The police and FBI agents are continuing to investigate the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion. Just hours before, 15 people were killed in a New Orleans ramming attack carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an army veteran who had pledged support for the Islamic State group. On Thursday, the FBI said they had found “no definitive link” between the two incidents.
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