What is Turo? Car rental app was used in both New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion
Turo, the car rental app used to rent vehicles involved in both the New Years Day New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion released a statement Thursday saying it was "heartbroken" over the violence and working with investigators on both deadly cases.
Based in San Francisco, the peer-to-peer car-sharing company connects vehicle owners with people looking to rent a car as an alternative to using traditional rental companies.
"We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families," a Turo spokesperson told USA TODAY early Thursday.
In New Orleans, an armed man drove a rented Ford F-150 into a crowd about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, leaving 15 dead and dozens injured in what authorities are calling a terror attack. Hours later, about 7:30 a.m., a rented Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel and fireworks blew up outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing the driver and injuring several bystanders.
Officials said they are investigating possible connections between the cases.
It was not immediately known who owned the vehicles used in each incident.
Here is what Turo is saying about the attacks and what to know about the car rental app.
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Turo 'actively partnering' with law enforcement
The Turo spokesperson said the company does not believe either renter involved in the attacks "had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat" and was "actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents."
"We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management," the spokesperson said.
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What is Turo?
Turo is a car rental app for people to rent cars from private owners.
The platform, similar to Airbnb, allows car owners (hosts) to rent heir vehicles to others (guests).
"Skip the car rental counter and rent anything from daily drivers to pickup trucks, from trusted, local hosts on the Turo car rental marketplace," according to its website.
The app, founded as a start up in 2009, has been around since 2010.
Its users must be at least age 18 in the U.S. and have a valid driver’s license.
How does Turo work?
To use Turo, people must download the app.
Users then create a Turo account, select their pick up address and choose a vehicle, including everything from convertibles and luxury cars to minivans and SUVS.
Hosts either meet guests in person to hand them keys to a vehicle, or provide remote handoffs by providing a lockbox code or allowing people to unlock cars through the app.
Some hosts offer delivery to airports, hotels and other locations.
Users are not required to have personal insurance coverage to book.
Contributing: Eve Chen and J. Staas Haught
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Turo? Car rental app used in both New Orleans, Vegas incidents