The Tesla Cybertruck that exploded and the New Orleans attack car were both rented using the Turo app

• The Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was rented from Turo, the company said.

• The app was also used to rent a truck used in the New Orleans attack.

• President Biden said authorities are looking into whether the two incidents are connected.

The Tesla Cybertruck that exploded Wednesday in Las Vegas was rented from Turo, the same car-sharing app that was used to rent the truck used in the New Orleans attack earlier Wednesday.

In a statement on its website on Wednesday, Turo confirmed that the vehicles involved in both incidents were hired with its help.

“Our trust and security team is fully cooperating with the authorities to share any information that may be helpful in their investigation,” the statement read. “We do not believe that either employer had a criminal background that would indicate that they are a security risk, and we currently have no information to indicate that these two incidents are related.”

Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been identified as a suspect in the New Orleans shooting. Jabbar's criminal record, obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety and viewed by Business Insider, shows two prior arrests in 2002 and 2005.

The first is for theft, the other is for driving with invalid licenses. Both are classified as misdemeanors.

A celebrity backed company

Turo allows private car owners to rent out their cars. It's similar to Airbnb or Vrbo but for cars instead of houses.

The San Francisco-based company offers a wide range of vehicles, from Toyotas to Porsches and Teslas, and operates in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and France.

Investors include the arms of American Express, BMW, and Liberty Mutual, as well as top investment firms such as Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures. Celebrities like rapper 2 Chainz and NBA and NFL players have also invested.

Turo has nearly 1,000 employees and was valued at $1.5 billion by 2020, per PitchBook. The company, which was founded in 2009, has registered for an initial public offering in 2021 but has yet to go public.

The company had 360,000 cars listed on its platform at the end of 2023, and about 3.7 million people booked cars that year, according to a March 2024 filing. In that filing, Turo said that customer actions that lead to criminal action could affect the company's reputation and create legal liabilities. potential – a common line in these documents.

The company has written that it has no control over – or the ability to predict – the actions of car renters, who call tourists.

“We cannot completely verify the identity of all guests, and we do not verify or vet third parties who may be on a trip using a vehicle booked through our platform,” according to the March filing. “Our trust and security procedures are very customer-centric to reduce the risk of car theft and car accidents.”

The company reported nearly $880 million in revenue by 2023, an 18% year-over-year growth. It posted $14.7 million in profit, a sharp decline from $154.7 million in 2022. Losses and high costs are common in growing technology companies, especially those that are not yet public.

Authorities are investigating a possible connection between the attacks

In a press conference on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said authorities are investigating whether there is a connection between the Las Vegas blast and the New Orleans attack.

Kevin McMahill, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said at a press conference that the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck was injured and seven others were injured after the car exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

“We know very well what happened in New Orleans with the event that happened there, and the number of casualties there and the additional IEDs,” McMahill said, referring to the IED. The attack in New Orleans killed 15 Wednesday morning. “So, as you can imagine, with the explosion here on Las Vegas Boulevard, we're taking every step we have to take to keep our community safe.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote to X that the explosion was “caused by very large explosives and/or a bomb” in the bed of the Cybertruck.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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