What to know about Turo, the app used by the New Orleans and Las Vegas attackers

What they're saying: Turo acknowledged in a statement Wednesday that both attacks relied on cars that the suspects rented on its app.

• "We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related," the company said, adding that it was cooperating with law enforcement in their investigations.
• A Turo spokesperson told Axios Thursday that the company was "outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts."

The big picture: 5% of 184 vehicle ramming incidents between 1970 and 2018 used a rented car, according to a 2019 analysis by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University.

• However, attacks using a rented vehicle were the most deadly, accounting for 29% of fatalities in the incidents analyzed.
• "Attackers renting vehicles tend to have planned the attack and very often they rent larger vehicles," the analysis noted.

How does Turo work?

The peer-to-peer rental app is similar to Airbnb, allowing users to rent a car directly from an owner, rather than a rental company like Hertz.

• On the app, renters can choose the location they want to rent in and when they need the car, view models and prices before making a selection, and then coordinate pickup and drop-off with the car's owner.
• Hosts can meet owners in person to pick up the car or organize a remote handoff, in which renters unlock the car using a lockbox code or the app.
• There is a $15 minimum for each Turo trip, though it's up to owners to set their daily rates. Turo also calculates a trip fee between 2.5% to 100% of the trip price, based on factors like trip duration and the car's value.

Between the lines: So far, authorities have not shared information about the owners of the vehicles in New Orleans and Las Vegas or the details of the rental reservations made by the suspects.

Have Turo-rented cars been used in other crimes?

The high-profile incidents are not the first time Turo has seen its platform used to facilitate crimes.

• Car rentals from Turo and Getaround, another peer-to-peer car rental app, have been stolen or involved in crimes like drug trafficking, per NBC News.
• In 2021, a Houston woman was charged after renting seven cars through Turo, at least four of which were involved in aggravated robberies, local news outlets reported.

What security measures does Turo use?

Turo's website states that the company takes security precautions to prevent the misuse of its service.

• Car owners must "meet rigorous safety requirements" that include having no outstanding safety recalls on their vehicles, meeting mileage limits on their car, and being at least 21 years old.
• Turo states that all renters "are screened before booking a car to reduce risky behavior in our marketplace."

State of play: Renters are required to upload a valid driver's license, be at least 18 years old, and provide an email, home address, and payment card before they can rent a vehicle.

• When setting up an account, Turo also says it "may check your personal and/or business credit report, auto insurance score, and criminal background" before verifying the account.
• "Every Turo renter is screened through a proprietary multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process. We utilize over 50 internal and external data sources to build, maintain, and improve on our best-in-class Turo Risk Score," the Turo spokesperson told Axios Thursday.

Zoom in: The spokesperson added that both suspects in the attacks had clean background checks, were honorably discharged from the U.S. military, and had shown valid driver's licenses.

• "They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone – including Big Rental or law enforcement," they added.

What do we know about the suspects?

Authorities are investigating the New Orleans attack as an act of terrorism and the Las Vegas explosion as a "possible act of terror."

• Officials have identified the suspect in the New Orleans attack as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran whom police shot and killed Wednesday.

The U.S. Army confirmed Thursday that the suspect in the Las Vegas Cybertruck bombing was Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a military veteran who was on leave from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at the time of the incident.

Go deeper: U.S. on edge after New Orleans attack, Las Vegas Cybertruck bomb

Editor's note: This story was updated with new developments and additional comments from a Turo spokesperson.