Details are emerging about accused Tesla Terrorist Paul Hyon Kim, who was arrested for firebombing a Tesla facility in Las Vegas. The cinematographer is a rabid anti-Israel activist and has expressed his support for accused CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.
The New York Post reports that Paul Hyon Kim, a 36-year-old Las Vegas-based cinematographer and anti-Israel activist, has been charged with multiple counts related to a firebombing attack on a local Tesla Collision Center. The attack resulted in at least three cars being set ablaze and multiple vehicles having their windows smashed. Slogans such as “RESIST” were also spray-painted on the scene.
According to a former colleague who worked with Kim on a reality show, the accused had become increasingly radicalized in his leftist views, even going as far as calling progressive streamer and commentator Hasan Piker a “sellout” for engaging with Democratic politicians Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The source, who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity, described Kim as a “nice guy” who was “passionate politically” and promoted pro-Palestinian causes on social media.
Investigators linked Kim to the attack through DNA evidence found at the scene and license plate readers that indicated he had driven to the Tesla center and parked nearby before speeding away after the incident. During the attack, Kim was allegedly filmed using a rifle to shoot out security cameras in the vicinity before turning the gun on the Teslas and bombing them with Molotov cocktails. The resulting inferno was exacerbated when one of the car’s lithium batteries exploded.
A search of Kim’s home revealed numerous firearms and gun parts, according to police. The former colleague also revealed that Kim had spoken positively about Luigi Mangione, the accused murderer charged with gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last December.
Kim now faces a total of 15 counts, including destruction of property, suspicion of arson, and possessing a fire device. He is being charged at both the federal and state levels and remains in custody. While he has appeared in court, he has not yet entered a plea.
The Tesla firebombing is one of the most serious in a series of attacks targeting the company’s property, including cars, dealerships, and charging stations, in protest of Elon Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration and the cuts being made to the federal government. The administration has stated that those charged with crimes against Tesla’s property will be treated as domestic terrorists, although no one has been charged as such yet.
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
