A 36-year-old man, Paul Hyon Kim, has been charged with arson and unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm after allegedly setting fire to five Tesla vehicles and spraying them with bullets at a Tesla repair center in Las Vegas. The attack, which occurred on March 18, is part of a growing wave of vandalism targeting Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), emergency services responded to reports of gunfire at the Tesla facility. Investigators discovered that Kim had used Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm to carry out the attack. The building was also defaced with graffiti bearing the word “Resist.” Kim was arrested a week later and now faces severe legal consequences, including up to 20 years in prison for the arson charge alone.
The attack comes amid increasing hostility toward Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, who currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under former President Donald Trump’s administration. Musk’s cost-cutting measures, which have led to significant reductions in government spending on environmental initiatives, have sparked outrage among some groups.
“We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences.”
Tesla has been the subject of multiple attacks in recent weeks, with several dealerships and privately owned vehicles vandalized. The company’s stock price has also suffered a sharp decline, reflecting investor concerns over the growing backlash.
While some activists blame Musk’s government policies for stoking public anger, others argue that violence and destruction are not the answer. “Frustration with policies should be addressed through legal and democratic means, not through acts of domestic terrorism,” said a spokesperson for Tesla.
As the investigation into these attacks continues, law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to prevent further incidents. The case against Kim is being closely watched, with many seeing it as a test of how authorities will handle the rising tide of anti-Tesla sentiment in the U.S.
