Police, FBI investigate attempted attack on power substation near Boulder City, Nevada [View all]

Source: Scripps News

Posted 1:46 PM, Feb 20, 2026 and last updated 9:42 PM, Feb 20, 2026


A counter-terrorism investigation is underway after a driver attempted to crash into a power substation outside Boulder City in Nevada, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says. According to LVMPD, the driver, 23-year-old Dawson Maloney of Albany, New York, is dead.

The Boulder City Police Department received a call about a car crashing through a secured gate at the L.A. Department of Water & Power substation located at 875 El Dorado Drive around 10 a.m. Thursday, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said. Around 1 p.m., LVMPD was notified, and the counterterrorism section responded.

Video of the incident shows a Nissan Sentra with New York plates crashing through a gate outside the substation. McMahill said the car was stopped by large, industrial wire reels. Boulder City Police say there was no indication of major damage to critical infrastructure at the facility, and no service interruptions. According to authorities, Maloney died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene on Thursday.

Investigators believe he shot himself after crashing into the gate. He was also holding a shotgun and wearing soft-body armor, McMahill said. "These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident," McMahill said. A source with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that investigators believe Maloney traveled from New York "with the intent to cause chaos."

Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/news/police-fbi-investigate-attempted-attack-power-substation-near-boulder-city-what-we-know