Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental app, and it was used by the suspects accused in the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion at Trump Hotel.
DALLAS — A peer-to-peer ridesharing app is at the center of two deadly incidents on opposite ends of the country.
Officials confirmed that the car rental app Turo was used by the driver involved in the New Orleans terror attack and by the driver of a Cybertruck that exploded outside of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
Here’s what the app is and what it’s used for.
What is Turo?
Turo is a San Francisco-based peer-to-peer carsharing app. Essentially, a “host” can rent out their privately owned vehicles to app users. The company started in 2010 under the name “RelayRides” but changed to Turo in 2015.
Turo differs from standard rental car services in that they neither own or maintain the cars being rented out. Turo exists just as a platform for car owners to rent out their vehicles.
Users who rent a car on Turo will be given a pickup location from the car’s “host”. That pickup process can be in-person or remote, so hosts can rent out their cars without even seeing the renter.
In New Orleans, the attacker, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, rented a Ford F-150 Lightning truck through the Turo app and intentionally drove through a crowded Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring several others.
According to the Associated Press, a Turo executive said they are cooperating with the FBI in the New Orleans investigation.
In Las Vegas, an unidentified driver pulled into the valet area of the Trump Hotel in a Tesla Cybertruck, also rented through Turo, Las Vegas law enforcement sources told ABC News. The Cybertruck, which was loaded with fireworks and gasoline cans, then exploded, killing the driver and injuring seven others, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill confirmed.
Sheriff McMahill said investigators have not found any connections to the New Orleans attack from the Las Vegas incident.
A Turo spokesperson released the following statement following the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents:
“We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families. We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”
