Turo-rented cars were involved in 2 deadly incidents this New Year's. Here's what we know

[January 03, 2025]  

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.

Turo said it is “shocked and saddened" Wednesday's events and that “our hearts are with the victims and their families."

The company added that is "outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts.”

While both incidents involved vehicles rented through Turo, the FBI has 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 operates through a network of hosts across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and France.

The origins of the San Francisco-based company date back almost 15 years, with its first trip completed in May 2010 and nationwide launch later arriving in 2012. The platform was originally introduced as “RelayRides,” but rebranded to Turo in 2015.

The Turo logo is shown in the entryway of Turo in San Francisco, April 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Over the last 12 years of operating history, Turo says it collected data from over 90 million booked days, 27 million trips, 8.6 billion miles (13.8 billion kilometers) driven as of Sept. 30, 2024. Less than 0.1% of those Turo trips ended with a serious incident such as a vehicle theft, the company said Thursday.

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.

On Wednesday, Turo confirmed that both the Cybertruck and the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack were rented using the platform.

What else has the company said?

Turo has said it's sharing any information it has with law enforcement as investigations continue. The company has also noted that the individuals involved did not have criminal backgrounds that would have identified them as security threats. It said every Turo renter is screened through a "multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process.”

The men involved in the incidents had valid driver’s licenses, clean background checks, and were honorably discharged from the U.S. military, Turo noted Thursday.

“They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain,” the company said. "We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone — including Big Rental or law enforcement.”

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