Suspected Terrorist Kills Himself After Ramming Substation Near Las Vegas, Police Say
Posted on: February 21, 2026, 03:50h.
Last updated on: February 21, 2026, 04:05h.
- A suspected terrorist is dead after intentionally ramming his rental car into a power substation near Las Vegas and then shooting himself
- The suspect, identified as 23-year-old New York resident Dawson Maloney, called himself a “dead terrorist son” before the attack
- Authorities found an arsenal of weapons, bomb-making materials, and extremist propaganda in the suspect’s vehicle and hotel room
A man is dead after breaching a power substation near Las Vegas in an act authorities are calling terrorism. Las Vegas police say Dawson Maloney, 23, traveled cross‑country from Albany, New York before deliberately ramming his rental car into a power substation in Boulder City, Nev. on Thursday and then killing himself. Multiple deadly weapons were found in the car and bomb-making materials and anti-government propaganda were found in his hotel room.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, Boulder City police received a 911 call reporting that a car had smashed through a fence at a power facility and that gunshots were heard moments later. Officers arrived to find a silver Nissan Sentra that had plowed into a stack of industrial wire spools.
Maloney was in the driver’s seat, dead from what appeared to be a self‑inflicted gunshot wound. He was wearing soft body armor and holding a shotgun believed to be the suicide weapon.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the vehicle had been intentionally driven through the gate. Inside the car, officers found two shotguns, an AR‑style pistol, numerous magazines, a box of shotgun shells, two flamethrower‑type devices, and a hatchet.
Because of the weapons and the nature of the breach, Metro’s counterterrorism team was called to the scene around 1 p.m., and the FBI field offices in both Las Vegas and Albany were notified.
Why Terrorism?
A search of Maloney’s Boulder City hotel room uncovered bomb‑making materials, including thermite, ammonium nitrate, metal pipes, and gasoline. Investigators say they also found a collection of books espousing a range of extremist ideologies — white supremacist writings, anti‑government material, and texts associated with both far‑right and far‑left movements.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the incident was treated as terrorism-related due to the location and materials discovered,” Las Vegas police said, adding, “There is no ongoing threat to the public at this time.”
According to investigators, Maloney — who was recently reported missing by his family — rented his car in New York on Feb. 12 and began driving west two days later, with license‑plate readers tracking his progress across the country.
McMahill said Maloney’s family had been in contact with him before the attack and reported that he had made alarming statements, including calling himself a “dead terrorist son” and saying he intended to do something that would appear in the news.
Federal agents searched two residences in the Albany area connected to Maloney. At one location, investigators seized electronics; at another, they found gun components and a 3D printer. The FBI said interviews with acquaintances and analysis of recovered materials were ongoing.
The facility Maloney targeted is a substation that helps transmit electricity from the Hoover Dam to Southern California. Boulder City Police Chief Tim Shea said the crash caused no significant damage and did not disrupt power service. Investigators have not determined why Maloney chose that particular site or whether he had any prior connection to the area.
In January, 2023, Mohammad Mesmarian rammed his car through the gate of the MGM Resorts Mega Array solar facility in North Las Vegas, then set fire to his car while it was parked inside a generator pit, temporarily disabling the facility. He was sentenced to at least two years in prison.
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