Alicia Arritt, a former Army nurse experienced in treating combat veterans with brain injuries, recognized troubling symptoms in her boyfriend, Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger, a member of the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group. Beginning in 2018, he exhibited forgetfulness, fragmented thoughts, insomnia, headaches, and prolonged depressive episodes. While he admitted to suffering “some concussions” during his multiple deployments, he refrained from seeking formal help, fearing it would jeopardize his career. Arritt believed he desired assistance but felt trapped by the potential repercussions of acknowledging his condition. Despite his struggles, Livelsberger maintained a friendly, humorous, and intelligent demeanor, enjoying outdoor activities and showing no outward signs of potential violence. The abruptness and shocking nature of his actions in Las Vegas, detonating explosives in front of the Trump International Hotel, left Arritt bewildered and searching for answers.
Livelsberger’s military career spanned over a decade, involving numerous combat deployments, parachute jumps, and exposure to weapons blasts, both in combat and training. These experiences resulted in back injuries and hearing loss. While the military has increasingly recognized the cumulative impact of routine operations on brain health, mandating better tracking of blast exposure and treatment, a culture of silence often persists in combat units, with soldiers hesitant to report injuries for fear of career repercussions. The Army, in a subsequent statement, maintained that Livelsberger had access to mental health resources and hadn’t exhibited any concerning behaviors at the time. This assertion clashes with Arritt’s observations and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Army’s screening and support systems.
Arritt suspected Livelsberger suffered from a traumatic brain injury, although he never received a formal diagnosis from the Army. She noted a gradual worsening of his symptoms over time. Experts, like Dr. Michael Jaffee, a retired Air Force colonel and neurologist, highlight the insidious nature of repeated head trauma and blast exposure, emphasizing that the risk of developing a brain injury, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), correlates with the duration of exposure to high-risk activities, including military service. The difficulty in diagnosing these conditions in living patients, coupled with their often subtle manifestation, contributes to widespread underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis.
The symptoms Arritt observed in Livelsberger align with those associated with C.T.E., a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. While some individuals with such injuries experience a plateauing of symptoms, others face a downward spiral. Some service members, after years of compensating for their injuries, experience a sudden decline, often around age 40, exhibiting bizarre behaviors, including paranoia and delusions. This phenomenon has been observed in various high-risk military roles, such as Navy SEALs, boat crews, and TOPGUN pilots. In rare cases, individuals with these injuries resort to violence, as exemplified by Army reservist Robert R. Card II, whose autopsy revealed extensive brain damage consistent with blast exposure. While a direct causal link between repeated head injuries and violent behavior remains elusive, experts acknowledge the increased probability of poor decision-making in individuals with such injuries.
Livelsberger’s struggles continued even after meeting Arritt. Despite being promoted to team leader, getting married, and having a child, he grappled with persistent insomnia, dark moods, and declining performance. His failure to complete the Army’s Advanced Special Operations Techniques course, attributed by Arritt to his inability to concentrate, further fueled his frustration. He subsequently developed paranoia, believing he was being followed, and experienced persistent nightmares. While considering a less demanding role, he ultimately chose a leadership position in Germany, fearing that acknowledging his problems would prevent his deployment. This decision highlights the difficult choice faced by many service members who prioritize their careers over their health.
The re-establishment of contact between Livelsberger and Arritt shortly before the incident, after a period of silence during which he married and had a child, offered no warning signs of his impending actions. He engaged in casual conversation about their past relationship, making small talk about renting a Tesla as he drove toward Las Vegas. However, Arritt sensed something amiss, a subtle unease in his demeanor. Notes left on his phone, released by the Las Vegas police, later revealed his desire to create a spectacle, expressing a need to “cleanse” his mind of the burdens of war and the lives he had taken. This tragic event underscores the hidden struggles of veterans grappling with the invisible wounds of war and the urgent need for improved diagnosis, treatment, and support systems.
