Inset: Allison Howlett appearing in Nevada court (KLAS). Background: Officers arresting Howlett (KLAS).
A 36-year-old Nevada woman who allegedly spent more than a year threatening to carry out a mass shooting before stealing her spouse's SUV loaded with more than 20 firearms has been indicted on 34 felony charges.
Allison Howlett is charged with making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism, assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, 20 counts of grand larceny of a firearm, eight counts of possession of a machine gun or silencer and three counts of possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, court records show.
The investigation began June 27 after Howlett's spouse, Julie Howlett, called 911 to report that Allison Howlett had taken her Subaru WRX, which contained more than 20 firearms. Julie Howlett said she was transporting them out of state as part of her work as a firearms dealer, local Fox affiliate KVVU reported. Julie also warned dispatchers that Allison Howlett had repeatedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting and had talked about provoking officers into killing her in a "suicide by cop."
Julie Howlett told KVVU the confrontation began after she discovered Allison Howlett had been using her credit card without permission.
"That morning, I woke up to Allison Howlett spending money on my credit card," she said. "She came in with a gun."
Julie Howlett alleged she struggled to wrestle the gun away after Allison Howlett pointed it at her.
"She had pulled the trigger — she was going to kill me," she said. "She took off. I ran outside. I had the gun still in my hand. I unloaded it."
According to an arrest report first obtained by local CBS affiliate KLAS, investigators learned the alleged threats dated back to January 2024. In one recorded conversation, Allison Howlett allegedly warned, "If the FBI doesn't come arrest me, there is going to be a mass shooting one day … you're going to be the reason hundreds of people lose their lives."
During another recorded 38-minute conversation, Julie Howlett asked, "So you're going to shoot it out with the police," and Allison Howlett allegedly responded, "No, I'm not, they are going to shoot me dead."
The arrest report also alleges Allison Howlett sometimes donned body armor, grabbed a rifle and asked Julie Howlett to drive her to a homeless shelter while suggesting she wanted to shoot homeless people.
Police tracked the stolen Subaru to the parking garage at Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Henderson. Allison Howlett allegedly refused repeated commands to get out of the vehicle, blasted loud music and made obscene gestures toward officers before they pulled her through the driver's-side window and used a Taser to take her into custody, KVVU reported.
Authorities reportedly recovered a handgun from the driver's seat area, a suppressed B&T TP9 in the back seat and approximately 20 additional firearms from the trunk.
Because of the alleged threats of a mass-casualty attack, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police counterterrorism detectives joined the investigation.
A subsequent search of the couple's home reportedly uncovered another 26 firearms, including an M2 .50-caliber machine gun, an M5 rocket launcher and multiple rifles equipped with grenade launchers, along with electronic devices.
The terrorism count was added through last week's grand jury indictment, just days after Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson publicly said prosecutors did not believe they had sufficient evidence to support such a charge, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Howlett pleaded not guilty Tuesday and requested a speedy trial. She remains jailed on $500,000 bail, and her trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 12.
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