New York Man Tried to Ram Nevada Substation in Alleged Terrorism Attack

Dawson Maloney, a 23-year-old law student, died by suicide after crashing into the facility in Boulder City, authorities say.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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A heavily armed 23-year-old law student from Albany, New York named Dawson Maloney attempted to ram his rental car into a power substation outside of Las Vegas on Thursday, crashing through a perimeter fence before killing himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators said they were treating the incident as an act of terrorism.

Why it matters

The attempted attack on the Nevada power substation, which is part of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power grid, highlights growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure to extremist threats. Authorities found extremist materials and bomb-making ingredients in Maloney's hotel room, suggesting he may have been motivated by a range of ideological factors.

The details

Around 10 a.m. on Thursday, Maloney accelerated his rented silver Nissan Sentra toward the substation in Boulder City, Nevada, but did not reach the facility, instead crashing into large industrial wire reels. When officers approached the vehicle, Maloney was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police recovered two shotguns, an AR-style pistol, ammunition, flame throwers and a hatchet from Maloney's rental car, and found ingredients for making explosives and extremist materials in the hotel room where he had stayed.

  • On Thursday, February 20, 2026, Maloney attempted to ram the Nevada substation around 10 a.m.

The players

Dawson Maloney

A 23-year-old law student from Albany, New York who was reported missing and had threatened to harm himself before the attack.

Kevin McMahill

The sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who provided details about the incident at a news conference.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

The agency that operates the power substation in Boulder City, Nevada that was the target of the alleged terrorism attack.

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What they’re saying

“In a message to his mother, the suspect referred to himself as a 'dead terrorist son' and stated he felt he had an obligation to carry out his act.”

— Kevin McMahill, Sheriff, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (New York Times)

What’s next

Authorities are continuing to investigate Maloney's motives and any potential connections to extremist groups or ideologies.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the persistent threat of domestic terrorism targeting critical energy infrastructure, and the need for heightened security measures and intelligence-gathering to prevent such attacks in the future.