Las Vegas authorities are investigating a violent crash at a power substation as a “terrorism‑related event,” after a 23‑year‑old man from New York rammed his vehicle into the facility before taking his own life. Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public, but the details emerging from the case have raised serious concerns about intent and preparation.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters that the driver, Dawson Maloney of Albany, had been reported missing and had communicated with family members shortly before the incident, referencing self‑harm and saying he planned to commit an act that would put him “on the news.” In a message to his mother, he referred to himself as a terrorist. Maloney died from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
A search of his hotel room uncovered explosive materials and multiple books tied to extremist ideologies, including texts on right‑ and left‑wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacism and anti‑government movements. “These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident,” McMahill said.
Maloney, listed as a student at Albany Law School and a former honors student at Siena University, had an arsenal in his rental car: two shotguns, an assault‑style pistol and flamethrowers. He was also wearing soft‑body armor. Investigators later recovered a 3D printer and firearm components from an Albany residence linked to him.
The targeted substation, owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, works closely with the Hoover Dam to transfer electricity to the Los Angeles basin. Officials say there were no service disruptions or damage to critical infrastructure. Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea confirmed that operations remained unaffected.
The incident echoes a 2023 attack in which a man rammed a vehicle into a solar power facility northeast of Las Vegas, setting the car ablaze. That case, along with similar attacks on substations in Washington, Oregon and North Carolina, has heightened federal concerns about the vulnerability of the nation’s power grid.
As investigators piece together Maloney’s motives, the event adds to a growing list of security threats targeting U.S. energy infrastructure and underscores how quickly a single individual can put critical systems at risk.
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