Nevada Substation Ramming by Missing New York Law Student Treated as Terrorism
Updated (3 articles)
Driver Identity, Death, and Terrorism Classification Police identified the 23‑year‑old driver as Dawson Maloney of Albany, New York, who had been reported missing and was found dead from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Boulder City officials are treating the vehicle‑ramming as a possible terrorism act while emphasizing no ongoing public danger [1][2][3].
Vehicle Breach and Substation Impact At approximately 10 a.m. on Feb 21, Maloney’s rented Nissan Sentra smashed through the secured gate of a power substation 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas near the Hoover Dam; the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power confirmed the facility sustained no critical damage and power service continued uninterrupted [1][2][3].
Weapons Cache and Extremist Materials The rental car search uncovered two shotguns, an AR‑style pistol with loaded magazines, shotgun shells, two flamethrower‑type devices containing thermite, a crowbar, a hatchet, soft‑body armor, and a cellphone; investigators also seized white‑supremacist, anti‑government and environmental extremist literature, explosive components, a 3D printer, and other gun‑assembly parts [1][2][3].
Law School Connection and Family Messages Albany Law School confirmed Maloney was a first‑year law student, class of 2027, previously an honors student at Siena University; before the crash he messaged his mother calling himself a “dead terrorist son,” expressed suicidal intent, and said he wanted to be “on the news” [2][3].
Inter‑agency Investigation and Broader Context The FBI’s Albany office coordinated with Nevada and New York agencies, executing search warrants that yielded additional electronics and extremist material; officials noted the attack follows a recent surge in vehicle‑ramming incidents targeting critical infrastructure, such as the 2025 New Orleans Bourbon Street massacre and the Jan 1 2025 Tesla Cybertruck explosion [1][3].
Sources
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1.
Newsweek: Las Vegas Substation Ramming Investigated as Possible Terrorism: focuses on the terrorism probe, driver identity, extensive weapons cache, extremist literature, and situates the attack within a pattern of recent vehicle‑ramming terror incidents.
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2.
Newsweek: New York Law Student’s Fatal Ramming of Hoover‑Dam Substation Treated as Terrorism: adds the victim’s law‑student status, details of the armament and literature seized, and confirms uninterrupted power service.
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3.
CNN: Nevada Substation Attack Leaves Driver Dead, Terrorism Probe Ongoing: highlights the “dead terrorist son” messages, FBI‑Albany warrant execution, and emphasizes concerns about grid vulnerability.
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Timeline
Jan 1, 2025 – A Tesla Cybertruck explodes near the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., and investigators treat the incident as a terrorism‑related vehicle attack, marking one of the first high‑profile car‑ramming incidents of the year [3].
2025 – The New Orleans Bourbon Street massacre, in which a driver plows a vehicle into a crowded street, is investigated as a terrorist act and highlights a rising trend of vehicle‑ramming attacks on public spaces [3].
Feb 12, 2026 – Dawson Maloney rents a Nissan Sentra in Albany, New York, and law‑enforcement records later show the vehicle contains a cellphone, soft‑body armor, and a 3D printer, indicating premeditation for an extremist act [3].
Feb 14, 2026 – Maloney drives the rental car from Albany to Boulder City, Nevada, positioning himself near the Hoover Dam and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power substation for an imminent attack [3].
Feb 19, 2026 – At approximately 10 a.m., a 911 call reports a vehicle breaching the gate of the Boulder City substation; police respond and find the car smashed into the gate, confirming a deliberate ramming attempt [2][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – Officers discover Maloney dead inside the vehicle with a self‑inflicted gunshot wound, and investigators note his final messages to his mother calling himself a “dead terrorist son” and expressing a desire to be “on the news” [1][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – Police recover an extensive weapons cache—including two shotguns, an AR‑style pistol, loaded magazines, flamethrower‑type thermite devices, a crowbar, a hatchet, and explosive material—alongside extremist literature spanning right‑wing, left‑wing, environmental, white‑supremacist, and anti‑government ideologies [1][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – FBI agents and Nevada authorities execute two search warrants in Albany, seizing additional electronics, firearm components, and a 3D printer for forensic analysis, underscoring a multi‑state investigative effort [1].
Feb 19, 2026 – Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea states there is “no major damage” to the substation and confirms that power service continues uninterrupted, while Las Vegas Metropolitan Police emphasize there is “no current threat to the public” [2][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – Law‑enforcement officials cite the incident as part of a broader pattern of attacks on the electric grid, reaffirming prior warnings that the nation’s power infrastructure remains an “attractive target” for extremists (CNN reports) [1].