Police in Las Vegas are investigating a suspected terror attack after a driver rammed into a power station.
Yesterday, police responded to reports a car had crashed into a power substation in Boulder City, near Las Vegas.
The driver of the crashed car, 23-year-old Dawson Maloney, was found dead, with allegedly a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The police also discovered inside the car a variety of firearms, flamethrowers, ammunition and a crowbar, to which they are now treating the incident as terrorist event.
The Boulder City Police Department received a call about a car crashing through a secured gate at the LA Department of Water Power substation located on El Dorado Drive around 10am local time on Thursday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Sheriff, Kevin McMahill confirmed.
Around 1pm local time, LVMPD was alerted and counterterrorism section responded, ABC 13 reports.
A video shows a Nissan Sentra with a New York number plate crashing through a gate outside the substation.
Sheriff McMahill confirmed in a press conference the car was stopped by large, industrial wire reels.
The driver of the car and suspect, Dawson Maloney (pictured), crashed a Nissan Sentra into the substation
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LAS VEGAS POLICEMaloney, the driver of the car died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, the authorities confirm.
Investigators believe he had shot himself after crashing into the wired fence.
The driver was also wearing soft-body armour, Sheriff McMahill said.
A search of the Nissan revealed at least three guns, ammunition, two devices described as flamethrowers, a hatchet, a crowbar, and a cellphone that McMahill said is being analysed.
Sheriff McMahill shared further details of items found in Maloney’s hotel room in Boulder City
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LAS VEGAS POLICE
He said: “These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident.”
Local police said there was no significant damage to the infrastructure of the facility and no service interruptions.
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