FBI says attack on Tesla service centre has 'hallmarks' of terrorist incident
By Charmayne Allison
Topic:Crime
9m ago9 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 6:34am
A picture of burnt out cars
Police say five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the Las Vegas attack. (AP: Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
In short:
A number of Tesla vehicles have been shot and set ablaze at a Las Vegas service centre.
The FBI says the incident has "some of the hallmarks" of a terrorist incident.
It marks the latest in a spate of attacks on Tesla cars across the globe, which Elon Musk has condemned as "evil".
Multiple Tesla vehicles have been shot and set ablaze at a Las Vegas service centre overnight, in an attack the FBI says has "some of the hallmarks" of terrorism.
The incident is the latest in a spate of attacks on Tesla vehicles across the United States and overseas in recent months, with Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars targeted.
They began after Donald Trump returned to the White House and empowered Tesla chief executive Elon Musk to oversee the new Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing US government spending.
Las Vegas police said they received reports early on Tuesday, local time, of an offender setting Tesla vehicles on fire at the service centre.
Video of the incident showed vehicles erupting in flames while the suspect, dressed entirely in black, appeared to walk between the cars while reaching into a bag.
Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at least five vehicles were damaged, with the offender using Molotov cocktails to set the cars alight and a firearm to empty "at least three rounds" into separate cars.
The word "resist" was also spray painted on the front door of the business.
The FBI's Las Vegas special agent in charge Spencer Evans said their Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating the incident.
"Was this terrorism? Was this something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks,"
he said.
Mr Evans described the "violent acts" as "unacceptable".
"And specifically to those [of you] who might think that something like this is justifiable or potentially even admirable, we want to let you know it's a federal crime. We will come after you," he said.
Mr Trump has been accused of politicising the FBI in recent months, including by appointing longtime ally Kash Patel as the bureau's new director.
Musk and Trump condemn attacks
Mr Musk took to his social media platform X following the latest incident, describing it as "terrorism".
"This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,"
he said.
"Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks."
Asked on Fox News if he thought the attack was an act of domestic terrorism, Mr Trump responded: "I think so."
US Attorney-General Pamela Bondi also weighed in, condemning the "swarm" of attacks on Tesla property as "nothing short of domestic terrorism".
"We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes," she said.
A Tesla burnt out with broken glass
There has been a spate of Tesla attacks in Germany in recent weeks. (AP: Photo/Christophe Gateau)
Surge in Tesla attacks
The FBI says there has been a surge in Tesla attacks across the US in recent months, ranging from graffiti and vandalism to the use of firearms, firebombing and arson.
Tesla has been struggling on the stock market in recent weeks, down by about 50 per cent since the company's all-time high of $US1.5 trillion ($2.35 trillion) in December.
Last week, Mr Trump bought a Tesla to "make a statement", saying Mr Musk had been "treated unfairly".
Trump and Musk look out the open driver's side door of a red Tesla
Donald Trump recently bought a Tesla from Elon Musk to support his ally's brand. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
Mr Musk is also facing backlash further abroad, with four Tesla cars set ablaze in Berlin days ago. Police there said a "political motive" could not be ruled out.
It is one in a series of attacks on Teslas across Germany in recent months, since Mr Musk vocally supported the far-right Alternative for Germany in the recent general election.
And in Vancouver, Canada, an international car show has just announced it will remove Tesla vehicles from the event, citing safety concerns.
Posted9m ago9 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 6:34am
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