Las Vegas police are investigating a car that rammed into a power substation as a possible terrorism‑related event, authorities said Friday, though they emphasized there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference that the driver was 23‑year‑old Dawson Maloney of Albany, New York, who had been reported missing and was found dead at the scene.
What police say about the substation crash
Investigators said Maloney deliberately drove into the substation in Boulder City, about 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Boulder City police received a 911 call reporting the crash, and local officials said there was no significant damage to critical infrastructure and no service disruptions.
The substation is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea said authorities found no evidence that the incident affected power delivery.
Maloney sent messages referencing terrorism and self‑harm
Before the crash, Maloney communicated with family members and referenced self‑harm, police said. He also said he planned to carry out an act that would put him “on the news” and referred to himself as a terrorist in a message sent to his mother, according to investigators.
Authorities said they are continuing to examine Maloney’s communications and travel history as part of the investigation.
Weapons and extremist materials found by investigators
McMahill said officers later searched Maloney’s hotel room and found explosive materials and multiple books “related to extremist ideologies.” The books included material on right‑ and left‑wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacism and anti‑government ideology, he said.
Maloney was wearing what police described as soft body armor at the time of the crash. Two shotguns, an assault‑style pistol and flamethrowers were found inside his rental car, McMahill said.
Authorities also recovered a 3D printer and several firearm components from a residence in Albany.
Incident near critical infrastructure raises concerns
Boulder City is home to the Hoover Dam, one of the nation’s most significant pieces of infrastructure, supplying water to millions of people and generating about 4 billion kilowatt‑hours of hydroelectric power annually for Nevada, Arizona and California.
McMahill noted that a similar incident occurred in 2023, when a man rammed a vehicle into a solar power facility northeast of Las Vegas. That suspect was later declared unfit to stand trial.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
