Though some will endlessly dispute this assertion, the fire in a truck outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day was not associated with what was indisputably an Islamist terrorist attack in New Orleans earlier that day. In fact, it was not a terrorist act by any official designation.

While there is no reasoning with some who will disagree with my conclusions about the Las Vegas incident, these conclusions are based on the evidence — and my efforts for years on behalf of Veterans suffering severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The resulting depression and high suicide rates are more than just stats for me — I have known two Veterans who took their own lives in order to escape the darkness that consumed them.

To that end, I devoted a Profile of Valor to legendary Navy SEAL SCPO Mike Day (USN). Mike survived being shot 27 times while deployed with Operation Iraqi Freedom but lost his battle with PTSD and took his own life.

So, what actually happened in Las Vegas, and why?

Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty Army Green Beret, committed suicide just before his truck exploded. Police initially claimed his intent was to cause mass casualties with that explosion, and investigators made connections between Livelsberger and the NOLA assailant, including the fact they both previously trained at Fort Bragg, both served in Afghanistan (Livelsberger did three tours), and both rented their EV trucks using the same car-sharing app.

But the Vegas incident was something very different than the NOLA attack. As soon as photos were released of Livelsberger’s truck, showing that the accelerants he used were firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, this did not have the signature of a combat-seasoned SF Green Beret, who would have known how to make a much bigger bang if that was his intent.

Livelsberger, a Bronze Star (Valor) recipient among other decorations during his service with the 10th Special Forces Group, suffered severe depression and service-related PTSD. The 37-year-old was previously divorced and separated from his current wife on Christmas Day. He had been under mental healthcare for the last year but was given leave for Christmas, deemed to be stable enough to return to his family in Colorado.

He did not perish in the fire; he died by a self-inflicted gunshot after initiating the fire in his truck.

The FBI agent in charge of the investigation, Spencer Evans, has since revealed that “the Army indicates that he likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factor.” Evans added, “He didn’t have a criminal history. There was nothing that we would have been looking into him for up until this point.”

His family members called him a “patriot” who “loved his country” and supported Donald Trump. He had told relatives, “Trump was a soldier’s best friend.”

In what amounts to a suicide note left in an app found after his death, Livelsberger wrote: “Fellow Service members, Veterans, and all Americans, TIME TO WAKE UP! We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves. This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?”

He added, “We are all diverse and DEI is a cancer. Thankfully we rejected the DEI candidate and will have a real President instead of Weekend at Bernie’s.”

He concluded: “Why did I personally do it now? I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took. We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse.”

Additionally, Livelsberger reportedly sent an email to a friend, Sam Shoemate, a retired Army intelligence officer, with further details about his actions and intent. In that email, he instructed Shoemate: “In case I do not make it to my decision point … I am sending this now. Please do not release this until 1JAN and keep my identity private until then.”

Perhaps triggered by the absurd mass media drone hysterics just before Christmas, but more related to the military reports of hyper-velocity Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) off the East Coast over the last decade, his email continued: “What we have been seeing with ‘drones’ is the operational use of gravitic propulsion systems powered aircraft by most recently China in the east coast, but throughout history, the US. Only we and China have this capability.” Indicative of his degree of delusion, he wrote that he believed drones were following him.

Special Agent Evans now concludes, as do I, “Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who was struggling with PTSD and other issues.”

Bottom line: MSG Matthew Livelsberger said he was calling attention to the decay of our culture and the pathetic political leaders who have undermined military readiness and morale, but what he really called attention to is the high rate of suicide among military personnel, particularly Veterans. This was not about terrorism; this was the last desperate act of a soldier who had served our nation with honor and integrity.

For more information about Veteran suicide prevention, contact the National Alliance or dial the crisis support line at 988 and then press 1.