Federal agents say they discovered evidence an Albany man who rammed a car into a Nevada power substation before fatally shooting himself last month considered carrying out a violent attack at Siena University years earlier.
23-year-old Dawson Maloney was an honors student at Siena before attending Albany Law School. The FBI Albany Field Office says it found potential plans of violence at Siena when processing a cellphone Maloney used. This was part of a federal investigation into the Feb. 19 Nevada incident that Las Vegas police described as a “terrorism-related event.”
The FBI immediately shared the evidence found on Maloney’s phone with Siena and assured the school there was no ongoing threat. Investigators say the threats of violence at the Loudonville school date to 2023.
Federal agents confirmed the investigation at the substation southeast of Las Vegas is ongoing.
Local police told media outlets last month that Maloney communicated with his family ahead of the crash, referencing self-harm and referring to himself as a terrorist.
During searches of Maloney’s rental vehicle – which he drove from Albany – his hotel room, and an Albany residence, investigators found explosives, firearms, a 3D printer, gun components and books “related to extremist ideologies” across the political spectrum.
The substation, which works closely with the nearby Hoover Dam to power the Los Angeles area, did not experience major damage, and there were no service disruptions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.