Las Vegas-area police acted swiftly Saturday to neutralize a heavily armed threat after a spouse’s urgent call prevented what could have been another nightmare scenario in a city still scarred by one of America’s worst mass shootings.
Officers arrested 36-year-old “Allison” Howlett outside the Sunset Station Casino in Henderson. Howlett, a biological male who identifies as transgender, faced multiple charges including threats related to an act of terrorism, gun theft, vehicle theft, and resisting arrest with a firearm.
According to Las Vegas Metro Police Department spokesman Andrew Walsh, the suspect’s spouse reported that Howlett had taken a vehicle loaded with weapons and had previously threatened “suicide by cop” along with carrying out a mass shooting. When officers arrived, they found Howlett in the vehicle with music blaring, refusing to exit.
Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader described a calm but decisive takedown. Officers waited for an opening as Howlett reached for water, then moved in to secure the suspect. Bodycam and briefing footage showed Howlett sitting on a handgun, with a fully automatic machine gun accessible in the back seat.
The haul was staggering: 22 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition recovered from the vehicle alone. A subsequent search of Howlett’s residence turned up another 30 guns and thousands more rounds. That’s more than 50 firearms in total — enough for sustained carnage had authorities not intervened.Audio played for reporters captured the chilling tone of the threats. A voice identified as Howlett declared, “I swear to God, if the FBI doesn’t come fing arrest me, there’s gonna be a fing mass shooting.” Another snippet warned, “There’s one day you’re gonna be pissing me the f*** off, and it’s gonna be the last f***ing straw.”
Howlett has denied intending to harm anyone or making prior mass violence threats, claiming instead that “everyone is out to get her and are setting her up,” according to a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A judge set bail at $500,000, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 15.
In an age where mental health crises, identity confusion, and easy access to firearms too often collide with tragic results, quick police work and a vigilant family member appear to have stopped potential horror before it began. Law enforcement did what it’s supposed to do: protect the public from those who telegraph violence. The rest of us are left wondering how many more such stockpiles exist out there, quietly waiting for the “last straw.”
