Las Vegas Police Detail Tesla Dealership Attack Investigation

Tesla Dealership Attack Overview

• 🎯 An attack occurred at the Tesla collision and sales center on Tuesday, March 18th, around 02:45.
• 💥 The suspect used a firearm and Molotov cocktails to damage the center and destroy multiple vehicles.

Initial Investigation Challenges

• 🔍 Investigators and FBI agents initially had very little information to work with.
• 📄 The available evidence included a grainy photograph of the suspect's vehicle, a nearly indescribable photo of the suspect, and a couple of photographs of headlights and tail lights.

Suspect Identification and Apprehension

• 🤝 Thanks to the hard work and collaborative effort of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, LVMPD Counterterrorism Section, and fusion center partners, the suspect was identified and arrested.
• 👤 The suspect was identified as Paul Kim, an Asian male adult, 36 years of age.
• ⏱️ The apprehension was achieved in eight days through around-the-clock work.

Details of the Attack

• 🚗 The suspect arrived in a black sedan, parked east of the Tesla center, and approached on foot.
• 🎭 The suspect attempted to mask his identity by wearing black attire, concealing his face, and wearing gloves.
• 📹 He began by shooting at least two surveillance cameras with what appeared to be a rifle.
• ✍️ The suspect then spray-painted the word "resist" across the front doors of the Tesla center.
• 🔥 He proceeded to shoot into multiple Tesla vehicles and used Molotov cocktails to set three vehicles on fire, causing severe damage. An additional two vehicles were damaged.
• ✈️ After the attack, the suspect fled east in his vehicle.

Evidence and Technology Used

• 🚗 The suspect's vehicle was identified as a black Honda Elantra.
• 📈 This identification was achieved through an exhaustive review of surveillance material, analytical data, and a canvas of over 700 locations.
• 🛰️ Technologies like Flock cameras were used to identify specific features of the vehicle, building leads that ultimately identified the suspect.