Federal authorities are investigating power outages in a North Carolina county that officials believe were caused by “targeted” shootings that left tens of thousands without power due to the cold weather.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) spoke of the disruption Monday at a news conference in Moore County, where investigators said gunmen attacked two power plants just days earlier. The county, about 50 miles northwest of Fayetteville, was in a state of emergency that included curfews and school closures.
The outages are being investigated as a criminal act after crews responding to Saturday’s incident arrived at the two substations, which had suffered multiple shots fired at them, according to Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields. The sheriff said Sunday that authorities had not yet determined a motive, but that the damage appeared to be intentional and targeted.
“I think the investigators are leaving no stone unturned as to what this is. They’re looking at every possible motive that could come up here and they want to find the perpetrator,” Cooper said Monday. “Regardless of the reason, violence and sabotage will not be tolerated.”
Cooper said he met with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as Duke Energy officials in the county on Monday. He also said he visited one of the substations that was damaged during the shooting.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have joined the investigation into the incident, according to Eddie Buffaloe, the state’s secretary of public safety. Buffaloe asked anyone with information to contact the county sheriff’s department.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House is closely monitoring what he called “intentional vandalism” at the substations, according to WTVD-TV. Kirby also said it is a top priority of the administration to support infrastructure against external threats.
Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said about 45,000 customers, representing nearly the entire Duke Energy customer base in Moore County, were affected by the outages. The company said it had restored service to about 7,000 customers by Sunday evening, but Brooks stressed that outages could last into Thursday for most customers.
County residents faced near-freezing temperatures overnight. Duke Energy has pledged $100,000 to groups like the Red Cross in an effort to help the community until power is restored, according to Brooks. Authorities have also opened a shelter that runs on a generator.
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