Cybertruck Bomber’s Ex Reveals There Were Warning Signs Before Attack
The ex-girlfriend of the Tesla Cybertruck bomber who died by suicide outside of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas claimed the Green Beret struggled with mental health, painting a picture of the dark reality he was facing before his death on New Year’s Day.
Matthew Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend, former army nurse Alicia Arritt, has revealed that he had telltale signs of post-traumatic stress disorder before he blew up a rented Cybertruck on Wednesday, killing himself in the process.
“He described all the same symptoms as a textbook,” Arritt, 39, said to KKTV. “In 2020, he was having paranoia and nightmares. He was exhausted and depressed. He was gaining weight and he couldn’t think.”
She claimed that highly-decorated soldier was plagued by trouble sleeping, pain, concussions and memory loss due to the military service that he wasn’t ready to give up.
CNN reported that he had recently sought treatment from the Army for depression. But the stigma that surrounds mental health in active-duty military members may have led to his downfall.
“If he got flagged for having depression or having a [traumatic brain injury], he would’ve been made non-deployable and he absolutely did not want that. He wanted to be there for his guys,” said Arritt, who parted ways with Livelsberger, 37, in 2021.
The two had met on a dating app, and bonded over the outdoors and time in the military.
“I first met him after a recent deployment to Afghanistan and he was struggling with some concussions and blast injuries he had. He was just exhausted from the back to back tours,” Arritt told the outlet.
Even though Livelsberger and Arritt lost contact for nearly two years, he messaged her the day before his apparent suicide, sending videos of the Cybertruck. In surveillance footage surrounding the hotel’s entrance, the Tesla was covered in flames after detonating.
“The VA has gotten so much better about caring for these veterans, but active duty, they don’t treat them,” Arritt said. “They just keep them in the war until they’re used up and then the VA takes care of them after they’re out.”
He received a Bronze Star five times, with a highly-regarded military career. He left messages that said he needed to cleanse his mind after killing people and seeing fellow soldiers die. He had an arm tattoo, with bullets going through two skulls, embodying the lives he ended in Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press.
“I don’t know what drove him to do this, but I think the military didn’t get him help when he needed it,” she told the AP. “There was no weakness allowed and mental health is weakness is what they saw.”
f you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
