A domestic dispute in Henderson erupted into a heavily armed standoff in the Sunset Station parking garage on Saturday, June 27, according to police. Officers say they arrested a woman who had dozens of firearms in a vehicle and later at her home, and credit quick reporting and tactical tracking with ending the confrontation without a single shot being fired.
Henderson police identified the suspect as Alison Howlette and said 911 calls started coming in around 9:38 a.m. The caller reported that her ex-spouse had taken the vehicle and that it was "loaded with firearms." Officers tracked the car to the area of Warm Springs Road and Stephanie Street and, with help from Sunset Station security, located it in the casino’s parking garage at about 11:17 a.m. Police say the woman refused repeated orders to get out of the vehicle, was tased once, and then removed from the car and taken into custody, according to KSNV.
Legal Implications
Police say the case includes a felony count described as making a threat related to an act of terrorism, a charge under Nevada law that covers knowingly making threats or spreading false information about terrorist acts or certain weapons. As outlined in Nevada’s NRS 202.448 and described by Justia, prosecutors must show the defendant intended to injure, intimidate or cause panic, and a conviction can carry significant prison time. Prosecutors will weigh the evidence and alleged intent while detectives continue building the case to meet the statute’s specific elements.
Searches and Charges
Investigators obtained search warrants for both the allegedly stolen vehicle and the suspect’s Henderson home. Police say they recovered 22 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the car and roughly 30 guns from the residence. Officers also reported finding a fully automatic, silenced MP5-style weapon in the back seat and said the woman had been sitting on a handgun when they first made contact. She was booked on multiple felony counts, including assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, making a threat related to an act of terrorism, grand larceny of a vehicle and a firearm, and resisting a public officer with a firearm, according to KSNV.
Henderson police say the investigation is still active and that additional details will be released as detectives gather more evidence and coordinate with regional partners. The involvement of the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center highlights how a single local call can quickly bring in a multi-agency response when potential mass-attack threats are alleged. For now, officials are pointing to the caller’s tip and the vehicle tracking as key moves that kept a volatile situation from turning into a tragedy.
