Las Vegas Police Remove Mysterious Monolith

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) announced via Twitter on Friday that it had removed a mysterious monolith from a mountain range north of the city. This latest sighting adds to the growing list of monolith appearances in the U.S., sparking curiosity about their origins.

Police said the monolith was removed Thursday afternoon due to public safety and environmental concerns. The structure was located near Gass Peak, approximately 20 miles north of Las Vegas in Nevada’s Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Photos shared by the LVMPD show the three-sided, 6-foot-4 mirrored object anchored with rebar and concrete, constructed from reflective sheet metal folded into a triangle.

The monolith has been transported to an undisclosed location while authorities determine its proper disposal. The LVMPD clarified there is no ongoing investigation into the monolith or its mysterious appearance near Gass Peak.

The Las Vegas monolith is smaller than a similar structure spotted in Wales over three months ago, which stood at 10 feet tall. According to Monolith Tracker, an unofficial website where users report sightings, the Las Vegas monolith was first seen in December 2020. A 2020 YouTube video provides aerial footage of what appears to be the same monolith removed by police.

Since 2020, Monolith Tracker has identified 245 monoliths worldwide, although the number verified by law enforcement remains unclear. The trend began with a monolith in Utah, spotted in November 2020, which gained viral attention before being dismantled 10 days later. One of the most recent sightings was in March, when Welsh builder Craig Muir discovered a monolith on a muddy hill inaccessible by car, leading to speculation that it was placed by people or a helicopter.

Online theories suggest aliens, pranksters, or artists could be behind the monoliths. The Most Famous Artist, a conceptual art group, has claimed responsibility for monoliths in the U.K., Romania, and Utah. However, some followers believe the group is simply capitalizing on the phenomenon, noting the group once sold “authentic” alien monoliths for $45,000 on its website.