Las Vegas police are investigating a car that rammed into a power substation in Boulder City on Thursday as a “terrorism-related event,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Friday. The driver, 23-year-old Dawson Maloney of Albany, New York, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police received the emergency call at 10 a.m. Thursday reporting a vehicle crash through a secured gate at the substation, located approximately 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
The substation is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and works closely with Hoover Dam to transfer power to California. The incident raises renewed concerns about the security of critical electrical infrastructure following similar attacks on power facilities in recent years.
Warning Signs in Communications
Before the crash, Maloney communicated with family members referencing self-harm and stated he would commit an act that would place him on the news. In a message to his mother, he referred to himself as a terrorist, according to police.
Weapons and Extremist Materials
Authorities found explosive materials and multiple books “related to extremist ideologies” in Maloney’s hotel room, including texts on right-wing extremism, left-wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacism, and anti-government ideology. “These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident,” McMahill said.
Two shotguns, an assault rifle-style pistol, and flame throwers were found in Maloney’s rental car. Maloney was wearing soft-body armor. Authorities recovered a 3D printer and several gun components needed to assemble a firearm from an Albany residence. Maloney had driven the rental car from Albany to Boulder City.
The Perpetrator’s Background
Maloney is listed as a student at Albany Law School in the class of 2027. He was an honors student for multiple semesters at Siena University in New York.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said there were no impacts or disruptions to its operations. Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea said there is no evidence of major damage to critical infrastructure and no service disruptions.
The Hoover Dam provides water to millions of people and generates an average of 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year for Nevada, Arizona, and California.
A similar incident occurred in 2023 when a man rammed a car through a fence at a solar power facility northeast of Las Vegas, setting the car on fire. The solar facility served Las Vegas Strip casinos. That individual was declared unfit for trial. Federal officials have expressed concerns about the security of the nation’s electricity transmission network following several incidents involving electrical substations in states including Washington, Oregon, and North Carolina.
Albany Law School issued a statement saying it was “heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of one of our law students, Dawson Maloney, in an off-campus incident.”