Arpit Gupta, the only member of New York City's Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) to vote against the rent freeze, told Fox News Digital the policy could gradually push older rent-stabilized buildings into disrepair by depriving landlords of revenue needed for capital improvements.

Gupta is also worried that the freeze, a central campaign promise from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, could make it more difficult for landlords to pay their bills.

"It's a little bit of a slow burn," said Gupta, an associate finance professor at New York University’s business school. "The risk is that the buildings do go under more distress. There are a variety of responses. One is... deferred maintenance, which will worsen the physical conditions of buildings."

He continued: "There are other avenues of distress, like going behind on mortgage payments, insurance payments, eventually property taxes, which leaves the property to be transferred in ownership to a bank or to the city, possibly for a tax lien sale."

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RGB Chair Chantella Mitchell, whom Mamdani appointed in February, acknowledged in her statement following the June 25 vote that landlords are facing soaring property tax and insurance costs but argued that most "remain able to meet rising costs."

Gupta, first appointed to the board by former Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, does not dispute Mitchell's claim that many landlords are doing fine.

Rather, he argues that the financial strain on the city's rent-stabilized housing stock is not the same all around, with older buildings that rely almost entirely on regulated rents facing a much greater burden than newer, mixed-income properties.

The board under Mamdani went further than it did under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose administration froze rents three times — in 2015, 2016 and 2020 — but only for one-year leases. The current freeze will affect roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments and applies to one- and two-year leases that run from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027.

As a result, landlords could, in the longest possible case, have to wait until late September 2029 before they can legally raise rents.

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Gupta considers the blanket rent freeze a blunt tool that doesn't adequately address the affordability crisis. Instead, he favors targeting aid to struggling tenants while allowing financially-strained buildings to continue raising rents.

"About 30% of the tenants in rent-stabilized housing make six figures or more. At the same time, many individuals in market-rate housing are below the poverty line," Gupta said. "So, to have a system that provides so many benefits for one sector of the housing stock while completely leaving out the market-rate tenants — whose rents might actually go up because of the dynamics of freezing one part of the housing stock — means that we have an incompletely targeted program."

New York City already has programs that freeze rents for qualifying senior citizens and disabled individuals. Gupta said these programs should be expanded to low-income residents more broadly, rather than limiting relief to rent-stabilized tenants.

Another worry Gupta has is that the rent freeze will incentivize landlords to leave units vacant.

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In early June, Gothamist reported that more than 57,000 stabilized apartments were vacant in April 2025. At the time, state housing officials said this number did not offer a complete picture, since some of the units included in the count were in the process of getting new tenants.

But Gupta argued that some of those apartments are being left vacant because owners cannot recover the cost of rehabilitating them before re-renting them, a problem he believes will be exacerbated by the rent freeze.

Many landlords point to the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act as the main catalyst for falling revenues. The law eliminated the so-called "vacancy bonus," which allowed owners of stabilized units to raise the rent by up to 20% after a tenant left. Landlords say the change made it harder to recoup the cost of renovating apartments before renting them to a new tenant.

Gupta told Fox News Digital he sees where Mitchell and his colleagues are coming from and acknowledged that many tenants are seriously struggling to pay their rent, despite the board’s past efforts to ease affordability pressures.

"In the five years I’ve been on this board… we have set rents below our estimate of building cost increases, we have set rents below CPI, and we've even set rents below wage growth in the city," Gupta said.

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Despite that, the city's spending on one-shot deals to cover tenants' back rent more than quintupled between 2022 and 2025, rising from $102 million to $555.8 million, according to the rental board’s income and affordability study.

The same study found that last year, 62% of evictions occurred in buildings with rent-stabilized units, a key data point the board used to bolster its case for a rent freeze.

While Gupta disagrees with the board's policy choice, he rejected the notion that the outcome was pre-ordained after Mamdani reshaped the municipal body. The mayor appointed six of the nine members of the board in February, and all of his picks voted for the rent freeze.

"From my understanding, the administration did not direct or try to influence the vote directly," Gupta said. "My fellow board members tell me that they were independently appointed."

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"What I also hear from board members who joined is that in the vetting process, as they were entering the board, they weren't asked or pressured on their position on the rent freeze," Gupta said.

Gupta’s view is not shared by Christina Smyth, another Adams appointee who resigned from the board shortly before the vote. In an open letter posted to social media, she said the board was "rebuilt," was no longer a "fact-finding body" and that it was "required to deliver a rent freeze."

Going forward, Gupta’s main concern is that the rent freeze will be extended far beyond what he believes is reasonable, given that Mamdani promised that he would "freeze the rent every year I’m in office."

"I've had many discussions with other members of the board, and I've asked, ‘if you vote for the rent freeze now, what are the conditions under which you would vote for rental increases?’" he said.

Up to this point, he said he has not gotten a clear answer on that question, with some board members telling him they need to wait for future data to make an informed decision.

"I'm not sure whether all the board members believe that's the future, or if maybe the future is just more freezes. Freeze after freeze for four years, as Mamdani campaigned on. That's a very different picture."

Fox News Digital asked Mitchell whether she viewed the rent freeze as a temporary measure and about concerns that it could worsen the financial condition of some rent stabilized buildings. She declined to comment beyond the statement she issued following the vote.

As Americans around the nation celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary this week, a parade that had been slated to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday was called off due to scorching temperatures expected in the city.

Welcome America Inc. noted the cancellation in a post on X, which the city of Philadelphia reposted.

"Due to the extreme heat, the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade is cancelled," the post noted.

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The X account for the National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly noted in a morning post Friday, "If Philadelphia Int'l Airport reaches our forecast high of 104° today, it will be the hottest temp recorded there since July 3, 1966."

City Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson extended an ongoing "Heat Health Emergency" through 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the city's Department of Public Health.

The parade had been slated to include floats and marching bands, according to an event description.

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Welcome America Inc. President and CEO Michael DelBene noted that the organization's first duty is people's safety.

"As much as this decision pains everyone inside our organization, we simply cannot host an event of this size and scale under these dangerous heat conditions. Todd Marcocci and Under the Sun Productions, along with all the parade groups, have been working tirelessly to design something truly historic, and having to cancel it at the last minute is heartbreaking for all of us," DelBene noted in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

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"While large-scale celebrations and community events may be our mission, our first responsibility will always be to the safety and security of our staff, our guests, and our event participants."

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued a red notice Friday for Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian national suspected of bombing a Monaco apartment building that reportedly targeted a Russian-linked Ukrainian oligarch.

The June 30 apartment building explosion, according to numerous media reports, injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born construction magnate.

While declining to identify any of the victims by name, Monaco public prosecutor Stéphane Thibault also revealed the explosion injured a woman and a 13-year-old child in the apartment who media reports widely claim to be members of Yermolaiev's family.

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Berezovska, according to Interpol, is now wanted on charges of attempted murder, depositing an explosive device on a public highway with criminal intent and criminal association.

Interpol identified the Ukrainian national as a dark-haired German-speaking woman who possibly has a tattoo of a snake on her arm.

The 39-year-old suspect was initially believed to be a heavy-set man. Monaco Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond even initially referred to the suspect in masculine terms.

"He stood up a few meters ahead of the victims, placed an explosive device taken from his shopping bag on the entrance steps of the building, then turned to confirm the presence of the three victims before triggering the explosion using a remote control," Raymond said at an initial news conference after the incident.

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Prosecutors reviewed footage of the days leading up to the explosion, finding that a man wearing a fishing hat repeatedly cased the apartment building and surrounding area. However, on June 28, the man was absent from security footage. Instead, a woman — who prosecutors now believe to be Berezovska — followed the same patterns as the man.

"The repeated reconnaissance operations and the pauses made in front of the building clearly demonstrate the intention to specifically target the three victims," Raymond said.

Investigators tracked her escape across the Monaco-France border, through Italy and into Germany, where authorities are now actively looking for her. They raided her Frankfurt apartment Thursday.

Raymond noted that the sophistication of her explosive device gives prosecutors reason to believe she did not act alone.

"The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi appear to indicate that the person who placed the device was not acting alone," Morgan said.

Though authorities have provided no motive, Yermolaiev's status as a sanctioned former Ukrainian is notable.

The 58-year-old construction tycoon renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017, Ukrainian media reported, and has been a citizen of Cyprus since 2019. 

In 2023, the Ukrainian government sanctioned him for allegedly continuing to engage with Russia, paying taxes to Moscow and facilitating business transactions through his liquor business in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.

FBI Director Kash Patel detailed a historic cross-agency operation that resulted in the arrest of over 300 suspects in the Chicago area over 60 days.

"Operation New Dawn represents a massive, whole-of-government approach under President Trump’s leadership to cracking down on violent crimes and crimes against children in great American cities," Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

"This was a sweeping operation in Chicago that brought together 11 different federal agencies across the government who worked together to execute 305 arrests and recover 24 children — many of whom had been reported kidnapped or missing — as well as charging subjects with robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking, child exploitation and more.

"The success of this op and more to come through initiatives like Summer Heat 2.0 should be a clear message that this FBI, our partners and the Justice Department led by AG Todd Blanche are full throttle on crushing criminal networks in this country no matter where they are."

KASH PATEL TOUTS FBI 'FULL-THROTTLE MISSION' AFTER OPERATION SPRING CLEANING YIELDS 615 INDICTMENTS/COMPLAINTS

The agencies involved included the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to a statement from the United States Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois.

Aside from the robbers, kidnappers and drug traffickers Patel detailed, other suspects swept up in the operation included those involved in gun trafficking, gun offenses and immigration violations, according to the U.S. attorney's statement. 

The statement described the operation as "badgeless," noting that the numerous federal agencies collaborated "under the banner of the United States flag as opposed to the shield of any agency."

U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros said the operation and the collaboration it induced represented a new era of law enforcement in America.

"It is my view that to combat violence, federal law enforcement must move at the speed of violence," Boutros said in a statement. "The remarkable success of Operation New Dawn resoundingly proves that point. Chicago’s federal anti-violence apparatus united under one banner — the United States flag and not the shield, badge, banner or logo of any agency — to make their presence felt on the streets of Chicago and make it known that they are a force to be reckoned with in the battle against violence."

ATF Special Agent in Charge in Chicago Christopher Amon concurred.

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"Law enforcement has always been, and always will be, a team sport," Amon said in a statement. "The success of Operation New Dawn reflects the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the trust, commitment and collaboration among our Chicago federal law enforcement partners. Together, we made a meaningful impact by removing shooters and other violent offenders from our streets, making Chicago safer for all."

The cooperation enabled the agencies to sweep up criminals like Felipe Dejesus Gomez Ramirez, who HSI noted is a convicted murderer and illegal alien.

New Dawn operators also arrested David Collins and Tyrone Thomas, who authorities say are members of Chicago's Traveling Vice Lords criminal gang who were deeply involved in drug trafficking. Both were federally charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

"Operation New Dawn demonstrates the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts to address the interconnected threats of violent crime and drug trafficking," Todd C. Smith, special agent in charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division said in a statement.

"Through the Homeland Security Task Force and in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies combined intelligence, resources and expertise to target individuals and criminal networks that threaten public safety. Reducing violent crime remains one of DEA’s top strategic priorities, and the significant drug seizures resulting from this operation underscore the close relationship between violence and drug trafficking activity. By working together to disrupt criminal organizations, remove dangerous drugs from our communities and hold offenders accountable, we are enhancing public safety while advancing our commitment to a Fentanyl Free America."

The operation, which began in earnest May 1, has so far resulted in 179 criminal defendants being charged in federal court in 140 newly-filed criminal cases. 

Twenty-four children, many of whom were kidnapped, were located and safely returned home, according to the statement.

A Boston police officer was left alone in a hostile crowd as people hurled drinks and debris at him while a dirt bike suspect broke free and escaped, according to police and the city’s largest police union.

The chaotic caught-on-camera confrontation first surfaced in a TikTok video posted by @noticiaboston. It happened around 9:24 p.m. on June 28 near Old Road and Ellington Street, where police said 100 to 150 people had flooded the area with loud music, drinking, lowriders, mopeds and dirt bikes.

Boston Police Department (BPD) Officer Jesse Kennedy had responded to a loud disturbance call and tried to disperse the crowd when he spotted a dirt bike with no rear plate, according to a police report obtained by the Boston Herald. When Kennedy approached the rider and grabbed the handlebars to check whether the bike was registered, the rider refused to get off and allegedly tried to pull away. Fox News Digital has requested the police report and additional information from BPD.

Video circulating on social media shows Kennedy surrounded as people appear to throw liquids, bottles and other objects while he struggles with the rider. At one point, glass can be heard smashing on the street.

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"Go home," someone yells in the video reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone told Fox News Digital the video shows exactly what rank-and-file officers are up against when staffing runs thin.

"He was all alone, and he had to go," Calderone said.

Kennedy had been assigned with another officer, but Calderone said that officer had trouble reaching him because of traffic, street takeovers and pedestrians blocking the way.

"It’s a matter of minutes," Calderone said. "It probably doesn’t sound like much to the general public, but when you’re fighting an individual in a crowd and you’re calling for help and nobody’s coming, that three minutes feels like an awful long time."

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The union boss said BPD is "extremely short" on manpower and argued the incident was a symptom of a staffing crisis that has left officers dangerously outnumbered at the busiest time of year.

Calderone said the union is not blaming Mayor Michelle Wu, whom he credited with budgeting for and hiring roughly 100 officers a year during her time in office. Instead, he pointed to retirements, internal promotions and the City Council’s handling of police overtime.

"The blame is not with the mayor," Calderone said. "The blame is with the City Council."

Calderone claimed Boston’s patrol ranks remain dangerously depleted, saying prior department testimony to the City Council showed BPD was roughly 600 rank-and-file officers short. Fox News Digital has not independently verified Calderone’s staffing figures.

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Calderone accused some councilors of trying to "defund the police" while neighborhoods deal with street takeovers, loud late-night parties and attacks on officers trying to keep the peace.

"Why aren’t they condemning these street takeovers; these loud, noisy parties; these assaults on their police officers who are trying to keep their neighborhoods safe?" Calderone said.

The union president said Boston traditionally uses overtime to put extra officers on the street when officials know about recurring problem areas.

"For some reason, this weekend, the department did not put any extra bodies out," he said, claiming BPD "ran below their own minimum standards," leaving Kennedy alone in the crowd.

"Thank goodness he and no innocent bystander was hurt," Calderone said.

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The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association also blasted the viral video on X, writing that "fewer cops means less safety."

Additional officers eventually arrived and cleared the crowd, according to the police report. The rider was not publicly identified in initial reports, and the police report did not note any arrests from the crowd.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Wu's office, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox and City Commissioner for District 4 Brian Worrell's office for comment.

It's that time of the week again. We've made it to Thursday and that means we take a dive into the world of True Romance.

We're going to hear about a married man who has found himself in a tough spot after his wife and mistress joined forces. His troubles all started with a misfired sext.

Once we get through that, we'll be learning about the unexpected details of an alleged OnlyFans romance scam. It's a good reminder to ease your way into matters of the heart.

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All that takes us into some potential crimes against romance. With claims of marrying for logical reasons, not for love. That's not what we're all about here. We let our hearts lead the way.

Speaking of marriages, and logical reasons over love, when Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift tie the knot this weekend, will she take his last name, or will he take hers? I think that's a valid question.

If it is a marriage based on love, I wish them well. Even if it's not, it has helped romance this week. One of the annual traditions this time of year, Michael Rubin's White Party, was moved up to Wednesday because of the Kelce-Swift wedding, and romance was in the air.

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Alex Rodriguez was caught sharing a kiss with an unknown woman at the party. It's good to see A-Rod back out there following his breakup earlier this year. Good for him and good for the romantics out there. I look forward to seeing them in the gym together very soon.

Go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook. Send your emails here: sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer).

A married man who has been having an affair for the last three years is now stuck in the middle after his wife and mistress joined forces.

He wants to know why he can't keep both of the women in his life. He wants to do what he wants and have a great time while he's doing it.

His wife and mistress have other plans. After a sext to his wife that was meant for his mistress ruined everything, they want him to choose.

"I’d happily carry on with this arrangement until my dying day; only they’ve got together and are ganging up on me. Basically, they are demanding I choose one over the other and I’m struggling to make that decision," he wrote to the Daily Star.

Each brings something different to the table and compliments the other by filling in for the other's weaknesses. One can cook, the other can't. One can dance and has a sense of humor, the other can't do either.

It's a situation he had to know prior to misfiring a nude to his wife that was too good to be true. You can't have it all and that's why a mistake was made. He let his guard down and started believing he deserved it all.

It's a mistake that happens over and over again.

"My wife first found out about my affair when I accidentally sent her a sexually explicit message and picture of my naked self, by mistake," he wrote. "At first she was reasonable and said that she’d give me two weeks to sort everything out."

Two months have passed, and she's selfishly wanting a decision to be made. The women have contacted one another and the heat is on. He doesn't want to sell his house, fork over money for a divorce and give her half his pension.

"Why can’t she simply turn a blind eye and pretend nothing is happening like they do in other cultures?," he understandably asks.

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You know, I want to go against this guy, but he's had a three-year taste of the good life. A life full of romance, and he doesn't want to let that go without a fight. He could have approached this much differently.

He could have said that he wanted neither of them. He didn't. By not choosing one over the other, he's saying he wants both.

There is something special there. I don’t want there to be, but there is, and I'm a big enough person to recognize that. Are his wife and mistress?

I don't know.

Follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook.

You think OnlyFans scam, and you think a man is throwing away his life savings on a model. Or someone is catfishing someone and having them empty their bank account.

That's what I thought at first, but that's not what is being alleged here. The alleged victim is a woman who started out as a paying customer of the man being accused of being the romance scammer, reports WRNJ.

The State of New Jersey is seeking the forfeiture of vehicles, electronic devices, and financial documents and has filed a complaint in Hunterdon County Superior Court.

The woman alleges that the relationship between her and the content creator started out as many do on OnlyFans. She was purchasing sexual content from him. Then the messages became more personal in nature at the end of 2024 into early 2025.

According to the complaint, she believed that the two had a future together and that her shelling out money for content and several personal items were all part of an "investment" in their future.

Someone told her that wasn't the case. That person alleged that her content creating online romantic interest was operating an organization to make women believe they were in romantic relationships while cashing in.

There were tens of thousands of dollars sent to him, the complaint alleges, for things like dental work, a pickup truck, a motorcycle and to fund a legitimate social media career and future together.

There are allegedly others out there who sent money to him and the alleged OnlyFans romance scammer was charged with "theft by deception, financial facilitation of criminal activity and falsifying or tampering with records."

You love the enthusiasm for romance, but this serves as a reminder that you can't trust everyone you're purchasing sexual content from on the internet. I wish that wasn't the case, but it's a sad reality.

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Believe it or not, there are people out there marrying a logical choice and not someone they love. They're not locking eyes with someone across a bar and following the butterflies into an eventual relationship.

They're marrying for central heat, health insurance and because the person has a car. They're skipping right over the part where you let the passion in a relationship burn out over many years of marriage.

There's no passion, so there are no complications that come along with that. I don't want to say that these people need to be jailed for crimes against romance, but these people need to be jailed for crimes against romance.

Here are some of the responses to the Reddit question: People who didn’t choose a partner for love but chose a partner that was a good logical choice, how did it work out?

- Tom writes:

I don't know if you can understand this but in the early 70s and into the disco era and early 80s if you were a really smooth dancer and good looking you had as much sex with as many different women as you could handle. I was known from Cleveland to Youngstown to Pittsburgh for my dance moves (think Soul Train and Saturday Night Fever) and after an hour of dancing on a lighted dance floor at Holiday Wildlife in Youngstown, Ohio my dance partner put her arms around me and said, "You just reek of sex."

Another time I was at the Stable Pit and Pub dance club near Meadville, Pa and was drinking more heavily than normal, picked up this chick and we were going to her house. I got to my car, said excuse me and went to the rear and hurled. I was pretty dizzy when she walked over and asked, "Can you still get it up?" I was stunned, I mean, I had just vomited and she STILL wanted sex. I just shook my head "No" and said, "You drive." I slept on her couch.

My friends and I attended a Black Oak Arkansas concert in Warren, Ohio in the 70s. We were standing near the front center stage and Jim Dandy, Ruby Starr and the boys were going to town rocking. This girl in front of me backed up and started pushing her butt against my crotch. She got the reaction from my 25 year body that she was hoping for and never stopped grinding nor looked at me for the full hour and fifteen minutes. When the concert was over, she finally turned to me, smiled and said, "Thanks for a wonderful evening" as if we had been on a date and walked away.

I miss that time period.

SeanJo

Tom, I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. Feel free to send in more of your stories of romance.

-------------

That will do it for this week. We'll do it again next week. Feel free to reach out, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com.

Send me whatever you want. I get plenty of hate mail as it is and yours will be a welcomed addition to the pile.

Police say they thwarted what could have been a devastating mass casualty attack after arresting a transgender Nevada suspect accused of plotting a shooting on the Las Vegas Strip and uncovering an arsenal that included machine guns, grenade launchers and more than 50 firearms.

Allison Howlett, 36, who police identify in the arrest report as transgender, was arrested June 27 after Henderson police received a frantic 911 call from the suspect's spouse reporting a domestic dispute, a stolen vehicle loaded with guns and threats of both "suicide by cop" and a mass shooting.

Using vehicle tracking technology, Henderson police traced the stolen SUV to a parking garage at Sunset Station casino, where officers boxed in the vehicle after finding Howlett inside with loud music blaring and refusing repeated commands to surrender.

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Authorities said officers eventually convinced Howlett to lower a window by offering water before pulling the suspect from the vehicle and deploying a Taser during the struggle.

"It should be noted that the suspect had been sitting on a handgun and had access to a fully automatic, silenced MP5-style machine gun in the back seat of the vehicle, further corroborating the reported threats of suicide by cop and having the means to carry out a mass shooting," Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader said during a news conference Tuesday.

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Authorities say detectives recovered 22 guns from the stolen vehicle, including handguns, rifles, a fully automatic firearm, suppressors, high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

A subsequent search warrant executed at Howlett's Henderson residence uncovered 30 additional guns, including automatic weapons, an M2 .50-caliber machine gun, two Colt AR-style rifles equipped with M203 grenade launchers, seven suppressors and thousands of rounds of ammunition, investigators said.

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As the investigation unfolded, Henderson police enlisted 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.

Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said investigators uncovered evidence that Howlett allegedly made threats over an extended period of time.

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"Some of that information included the threat of wanting to become an active shooter or to conduct a mass attack here in Las Vegas," Koren said.

Police also played audio during Tuesday's news conference that investigators said was recorded in 2024 and captured Howlett allegedly threatening a future mass shooting.

"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 person heard in the recording says.

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"Obviously, for our community here in Las Vegas, after dealing with One October, those types of threats are taken very seriously," Koren said, referencing the 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival shooting, which authorities have called the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Investigators said the alleged threats, coupled with the cache of weapons, prompted the immediate expansion of the investigation into a counterterrorism case.

Howlett now faces 35 criminal counts, including making threats related to an act of terrorism, assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, grand larceny of a vehicle, 22 counts of grand larceny of a firearm, multiple weapons offenses involving machine guns, suppressors and short-barreled rifles and resisting a public officer while armed with a firearm.

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A Clark County judge later set Howlett's bail at $500,000.

The investigation began after Julie Howlett called 911 to report that her spouse had allegedly taken her vehicle and threatened a mass shooting.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Julie Howlett later told FOX5 Las Vegas that the 22 guns recovered from the stolen vehicle belonged to her and were part of her inventory as a gun dealer preparing to transport them out of state.

According to Julie Howlett, the confrontation began after she discovered Allison using her credit card without permission.

"That morning, I woke up to Allison spending money on my credit card," Julie told FOX5. "She came in with a gun."

Julie said she struggled to wrestle the firearm away after Allison allegedly pulled the trigger.

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"She was going to kill me," Julie said. "She took off. I ran outside. I had the gun still in my hand. I unloaded it."

During Tuesday's news conference, authorities confirmed investigators believe the firearms recovered from the vehicle belonged to the spouse. Officials said detectives are continuing to determine how the weapons were acquired, whether they were legally possessed and what role they allegedly played in the case.

Police have also alleged that Howlett made similar threats dating back to January 2024, including warning in a recorded statement that "there is going to be a mass shooting one day" if the FBI did not arrest the suspect.

Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said investigators are still working to determine a motive but warned the case highlights how rapidly violent threats can escalate.

"The time from thought to act — that window has closed," Walsh said, explaining that suspected attackers today can move from making threats to carrying them out in a matter of days or even hours.

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KSNV reported that, during a recorded interview with detectives after the arrest, Howlett denied planning a mass shooting or threatening anyone.

According to the outlet, Howlett said she and Julie Howlett had been married for four years and were both transitioning to female while taking estrogen and progesterone. Howlett also told investigators she took Julie's vehicle simply to leave after an argument, acknowledged knowing firearms were inside because Julie had planned to transport them out of state, and claimed users on the online communications platform Discord had falsely accused her of making threats.

KSNV further reported that Howlett said all of her personally owned firearms had previously been legally transferred to Julie through an ATF-approved process.

Walsh urged anyone who hears credible threats of violence, particularly in domestic situations, to report them immediately, saying early intervention gives law enforcement the best chance to prevent tragedy.

As Southern Nevada prepares for Fourth of July celebrations, officials said law enforcement agencies remain on heightened alert and credited the coordinated response between Henderson police, Metro, the FBI and other regional partners with stopping what investigators believe could have become a mass casualty attack.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI's Las Vegas Field Office for additional comment. Both agencies said they had nothing further to add beyond officials' remarks during Tuesday's press conference.

Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes contributed to this report.