Henderson, Nevada police have arrested a transgender suspect accused of plotting a mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip and uncovered an arsenal of more than 50 firearms, including machine guns and grenade launchers.
Allison Howlett, 36, was arrested on June 27 following a 911 call from the suspect's spouse reporting a domestic dispute, a stolen vehicle containing numerous firearms, and threats of both a mass shooting and "suicide by cop." Henderson police located the stolen SUV in a casino parking garage, where officers apprehended Howlett after a struggle that involved the deployment of a Taser.
Authorities reported finding 22 firearms in the vehicle, including handguns, rifles, a fully automatic firearm, suppressors, and high-capacity magazines. A subsequent search of Howlett's residence yielded an additional 30 firearms. This cache included M2 .50-caliber machine guns, Colt AR-style rifles equipped with M203 grenade launchers, and seven suppressors, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The investigation, which involved the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the FBI's Las Vegas Field Office, revealed evidence that Howlett had allegedly made threats over an extended period. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren stated that some of the threats involved the intent to become an active shooter or conduct a mass attack in Las Vegas.
During a press conference, authorities played audio recorded in 2024 that they believe captured Howlett threatening a future massacre. "If the FBI doesn't come ... arrest me, there's gonna be a ... massacre. ... One day ... hundreds of people [are] going to lose their lives," the voice in the recording states.
Koren emphasized that Las Vegas takes such threats particularly seriously following the 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The combination of alleged threats and the recovered weapons elevated the investigation to a counterterrorism case.
Howlett faces 35 criminal counts, including making terrorism-related threats, assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, grand larceny of a vehicle, multiple counts of grand larceny of a firearm, weapons offenses involving machine guns, suppressors, and short-barreled rifles, and resisting a public officer while armed.
A Clark County judge later set Howlett's bail at $500,000. The investigation began when Julie Howlett, the suspect's spouse, called 911 reporting that her vehicle had been taken and that her spouse had threatened a mass shooting. Julie Howlett later told FOX5 Las Vegas that the 22 firearms recovered from the vehicle belonged to her, as she is a licensed gun dealer preparing to transport them out of state. She also stated that the confrontation began when she discovered Allison using her credit card without permission, and that Allison allegedly pulled a trigger on a firearm during an ensuing struggle.
Authorities confirmed that investigators believe the firearms recovered from the vehicle belonged to the spouse and are continuing to determine how the weapons were acquired and their role in the case.
According to KSNV, Howlett denied planning a mass shooting or threatening anyone during a recorded interview with detectives. Howlett reportedly stated that she took the vehicle to leave after an argument, acknowledged the firearms were in the vehicle because her spouse intended to transport them out of state, and claimed online users had falsely accused her of making threats. Howlett also indicated that her personally owned firearms had been legally transferred to her spouse. Undersheriff Andrew Walsh urged the public to report credible threats of violence, especially in domestic situations, citing early intervention as crucial for preventing tragedies.
Law enforcement agencies remain on heightened alert as Southern Nevada prepares for Fourth of July celebrations, with officials crediting the coordinated response for preventing what they believe could have been a mass casualty attack.