NEW YORK (AP) — Two deadly incidents on New Year’s Day — an attack being investigated as an act of terrorism in New Orleans and an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas — both involved vehicles that were rented on Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing company.
Early Wednesday, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter — killing 14 people who were celebrating the New Year. And police fatally shot Jabbar in a following firefight. Just hours after, outside of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives also burst into flames. The person inside, identified as active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger, died. Officials later said he suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the explosion.
In a statement Wednesday, Turo said it was “devastated by these horrible incidents” and remained “dedicated to helping the authorities however we can.” While both incidents involved vehicles rented on this platform, the FBI has since said that is has found “no definitive link” between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion.
Still, the incidents have put a spotlight on the car sharing platform. Here's what we know about Turo.
What is Turo?
Turo is a peer-to-peer car sharing company. The online platform allows car owners to rent their own vehicles directly to other nearby drivers, or “guests.” “Hosts” set their prices, availability and delivery options for renters to choose from and book via Turo's website or app.
Billing itself as “the world’s largest car sharing marketplace" today, Turo says it currently operates through a network of hosts across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and France.
The San Francisco-based company has been around for almost 15 years, with its first trip completed in May 2010. The platform was originally introduced as “RelayRides,” but rebranded to Turo in 2015.
How was Turo used for the cars involved in these New Year's Day events?
Again, investigators have not found any definitive connections between Wednesday's attack in New Orleans attack and following explosion in Las Vegas. But both incidents involved vehicles rented on Turo.
Authorities have said that the Cybertruck involved in the Las Vegas explosion was rented through the Turo app in Colorado. Kevin McMahill, the elected sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, said Wednesday that authorities knew who rented this truck, but were not releasing the name until investigators determine if it is the same person who died.
Turo has also confirmed that the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack was rented using the platform, too.
“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that (Wednesday's) horrific attack in New Orleans and ... Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas both involved vehicles rented on Turo,” the company said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”
What else has the company said?
Turo has said that it's partnering with law enforcement to share any information as investigations continue.
On Wednesday, the company also said it did not believe “that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.” The Associated Press reached out for further comments Thursday.
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