A Nevada woman faces 34 felony charges after authorities say she spent over a year threatening a mass shooting, then stole her spouse’s SUV packed with more than 20 firearms — including fully automatic weapons and a rocket launcher.
Allison Howlett, 36, was indicted on charges including making terrorist threats, assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, 20 counts of grand larceny of a firearm, and eight counts of possession of a machine gun. The case raises questions about how someone making repeated threats over 12 months accumulated such an arsenal without intervention.
Year-Long Threat Pattern Preceded Theft
According to court documents, Howlett allegedly made threats about carrying out a mass shooting for more than a year before the vehicle theft. Details about when authorities first became aware of these threats, or why no action was taken earlier, remain unclear from available records.
The situation escalated when Howlett allegedly stole an SUV belonging to her spouse. Inside the vehicle, police recovered more than 20 firearms, including weapons modified to fire automatically — illegal under federal law without proper licensing. The discovery of a rocket launcher adds another layer to an already serious weapons cache.
Weapons Haul Included Illegal Machine Guns
The eight machine gun possession charges indicate Howlett allegedly had access to multiple fully automatic firearms. Such weapons require special federal permits and extensive background checks. How these weapons were obtained and whether they were legally registered remains part of the ongoing investigation.
The 20 counts of grand larceny of a firearm suggest each weapon in the vehicle belonged to someone else — likely her spouse — raising questions about household security measures and whether red flag laws could have prevented the stockpiling.
Howlett appeared in Nevada court following her arrest, where prosecutors laid out the extensive list of charges. The domestic violence component indicates the threats may have been directed at family members or occurred in a domestic context.
The case now moves through the Nevada court system, where Howlett faces potentially decades in prison if convicted on all counts. Each machine gun possession charge alone carries significant federal penalties.
Key Points
- Woman allegedly made mass shooting threats for over a year before arrest
- Stolen vehicle contained more than 20 firearms, including eight machine guns and a rocket launcher
- 34 felony charges include terrorism threats, domestic violence, and weapons violations
