A New York man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after crashing a vehicle through a security gate at a power substation near Las Vegas, where authorities later recovered multiple firearms and explosive materials. Officials said the case is being treated as terrorism-related.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. Friday when Boulder City police received a 911 call reporting that a vehicle had crashed through a gate at a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power facility. According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill, the caller indicated the driver appeared to be deceased and that gunshots had been heard after the crash.

Officers responding to the scene found a silver Nissan Sentra with New York license plates stopped against large industrial wire reels inside the facility. Investigators believe the reels prevented the vehicle from advancing further into the site.

McMahill said officers observed a deceased male in the driver’s seat with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The man was holding a shotgun, and a bullet hole was visible through the windshield.

The driver was identified as Dawson Noah Maloney of Albany, New York. Authorities said he had recently been reported missing and had communicated with family members shortly before the incident.

“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,” McMahill said. He added that Maloney referenced self-harm and alluded to committing an act that would put him “on the news.”

License plate reader data showed Maloney traveled from New York to Nevada in a rental vehicle. FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto said investigators believe Maloney rented a car in Albany on Feb. 12 and departed around Feb. 14, driving cross-country to Boulder City.

Authorities executed search warrants on the vehicle and at a room at the El Rancho Boulder Hotel where Maloney had been staying. Inside the car, officers recovered two shotguns, an AR-style pistol, numerous loaded AR magazines with .223 ammunition, a box of shotgun shells, two devices described as flamethrowers containing thermite material, a crowbar, a hatchet and a cellphone. Maloney was wearing soft body armor.

From the hotel room, police recovered books related to extremist ideologies, including right- and left-wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacy and anti-government ideology. Investigators also found explosive materials and components, including thermite, ammonium nitrate, magnesium ribbon, metal pipes and gasoline.

In coordination with FBI Albany and local partners, two additional search warrants were executed at residences in Albany. Delzotto said investigators recovered electronics from one location and gun components and a 3D printer from another.

Given the location of the facility and the materials discovered, McMahill said the incident is being treated as terrorism-related. “These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident,” he said.

Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea said there was no indication of major damage to critical infrastructure and no known service interruptions. The facility works closely with Hoover Dam and transfers a significant portion of power to the Los Angeles basin.

Officials said it remains too early to determine a specific motive or whether Maloney intended to target that substation in particular. The investigation is ongoing.