A suspected terrorist drove cross-country to ram a power substation tied to Hoover Dam—then died by suicide with explosives and weapons still in the car.
Story Snapshot
- Police and the FBI say a 23-year-old New York man breached a secured gate at an LADWP substation near Boulder City, Nevada, on Feb. 20, 2026.
- Authorities found the driver dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with a shotgun in the vehicle and additional weapons and explosive materials recovered.
- Officials called it a “terrorism-related event,” but said there was no ongoing threat and no power disruption or infrastructure damage reported.
- Investigators say the suspect possessed a mix of extremist literature and materials, underscoring how “hybrid” ideologies can complicate threat detection.
What happened at the Boulder City substation
Boulder City Police responded around 10:00 a.m. on February 20 after a 911 caller reported a vehicle had crashed through a secured gate at a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power substation near 875 El Dorado Valley Drive. Officers located a rented Nissan Sentra and found the driver deceased inside from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials said the scene presented credible counterterrorism concerns, prompting a multi-agency response.
Las Vegas Metro Police and the FBI described the incident as a terrorism-related event based on evidence recovered in and around the car and from related searches. Investigators reported finding weapons, ammunition, and materials consistent with explosives or incendiaries, while stressing there was no indication of broader public danger after the scene was secured. LADWP reported no operational impacts, and local officials said no outages or major infrastructure damage occurred.
Who the suspect was and why the trip matters
Authorities identified the suspect as Dawson Maloney, 23, of Albany, New York. Investigators said Maloney rented the car on February 12, left New York around February 14, and arrived in the area on February 19, staying at the El Rancho Boulder Hotel before the incident the next morning. CBS News reported he had been reported missing and had messaged family members about self-harm and committing a “terrorist” act that would make the news.
Law enforcement said Maloney wore soft body armor and carried weapons and explosive materials, indicating planning rather than a spontaneous act. Search warrants executed on the vehicle and hotel room reportedly turned up items including thermite components and other materials, along with firearms and tools. Investigators also referenced evidence connected back to New York, including a 3D printer and gun parts from his residence, which expanded the case across state lines.
Why this target raises alarms about critical infrastructure
The targeted LADWP substation sits in a strategic corridor for Western power distribution, transferring electricity associated with Hoover Dam generation toward Southern California. That kind of node matters because physical attacks can aim for cascading effects, not just local damage. Officials emphasized this incident caused no disruption, but the location highlights how substations, often in remote areas, remain tempting targets for lone actors using simple tactics like vehicle ramming.
Federal and local officials have warned for years that substations are vulnerable to physical assault, and this case fits that broader pattern even though it ended quickly. CBS News noted prior regional and national precedents, including a 2023 case involving a vehicle attack at a solar facility northeast of Las Vegas and a 2024 arrest in Tennessee tied to an alleged plot targeting a substation. Those cases underscore why utilities keep hardening sites.
“Smorgasbord” ideologies and what investigators can prove so far
Sheriff Kevin McMahill described the recovered reading material as an eclectic mix—spanning different extremist themes rather than fitting neatly into one political box. Investigators have not announced a definitive motive beyond the suspect’s reported intent and the materials found, and officials said the ideology picture may remain incomplete until forensic work on electronics is finished. That limitation matters because speculation can outrun the verified evidence in high-profile cases.
For the public, the immediate takeaway is that authorities said there is no continuing threat, but the episode still spotlights the real-world cost of security failures around critical infrastructure. From a constitutional perspective, the case also shows why law enforcement must focus on evidence-based threat interdiction—behavior, planning, and illegal weapons or explosives—rather than broad political labeling that can be abused by government agencies against lawful speech.
Las Vegas cops probe terrorism event after driver rammed into power substation, explosives found https://t.co/fPgf0HpAEO pic.twitter.com/n09FvmqowI
— New York Post (@nypost) February 21, 2026
Investigators have not identified accomplices, and no additional arrests were announced during the February 20 briefings. The ongoing FBI-led work will likely center on digital forensics, travel logistics, procurement, and whether any communications suggest external coordination. Until that process is complete, officials’ core verified points remain narrow: a deliberate breach, a cache of weapons and explosive-related materials, and a suspect who died at the scene without causing the blackout the attack appeared designed to risk.
Sources:
Car rams into power substation in Boulder City, Nevada, investigated as possible terrorism
