Las Vegas (KSNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are investigating a counterterrorism incident that occurred outside Boulder City on Thursday.
The incident was reported around 10 a.m. when Boulder City dispatch received a 911 call stating that a vehicle had crashed through a secured gate at a substation. The caller also mentioned that the driver appeared deceased and that gunshots had been heard after the crash, according to Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
Officers responded and found a silver Nissan Sentra stopped against large industrial wire reels.
Inside the vehicle, they observed a deceased individual wearing soft body armor and holding a shotgun in the driver’s seat, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Multiple firearms were also visible inside the car, McMahill stated.
The driver was later identified as 23-year-old Dawson Maloney from Albany, New York. Authorities coordinated with the Albany Police Department, learning that Maloney had been reported missing and had communicated with his family before the incident.
According to police, Maloney made several statements indicating thoughts of self-harm and alluding to committing an act that would place him “on the news.”
The sheriff highlighted a message Maloney had sent to his mother, in which he referred to himself as a “dead terrorist son” and expressed a sense of obligation to carry out his act.
Police confirmed that Maloney traveled from New York to Nevada in a rental car, and his travel path was later documented. A search warrant was executed at the motel where he was staying, leading investigators to find multiple books related to extremist ideologies, including left- and right-wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacy, and anti-government sentiment. Explosive materials were also discovered.
MORE ON NEWS 3 | Woman who called 911 before deadly officer-involved shooting says system failed her
Inside the vehicle, investigators located two shotguns, an AR-style pistol, numerous loaded AR magazines, a box of shotgun shells, two devices described as flamethrowers containing thermite material, a crowbar, a hatchet, and a cellphone.
Given the findings and the location, officials are treating the incident as terrorism-related, although the specific reason for targeting this substation remains unknown, McMahill noted.
He also emphasized that there is currently no ongoing threat to the public at this time.
National Headline
