The widespread power outage was caused Saturday night when someone intentionally opened fire and caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the county’s power stations. “This was a targeted, deliberate attack and it was not random,” said Sheriff Ronnie Fields. He said the first power outages occurred Saturday around 7 p.m. in Carthage and then spread to central and southern parts of Moore County. Investigators said the motive behind the attack on the power grid remains unknown. However, some social media posts suggested the attack may have been in response to a show in the area. The sheriff said his deputies are “absolutely” looking into whether there is a connection to a drag show Saturday night in Moore County. He said there’s no direct connection to the drag show, but said it’s a possibility. “No group has come forward to acknowledge or accept that they’re the ones who did it,” Fields said, adding “we’re looking at all avenues.” Fields said the FBI is also now involved in the investigation. “An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious, intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted. Moore County schools were closed Monday and a decision on Tuesday will be made at a later date. On Monday morning, the newly elected county commissioners were sworn in. They held their first public meeting at 10:30 am Until power is restored, Fields has imposed a nightly curfew that begins at 9:00 p.m. and ends at 5:00 a.m. It remains unclear exactly when power will be restored. Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said several pieces of equipment were damaged and will need to be replaced. “We’re looking at a fairly sophisticated repair with quite a bit of equipment, so we want the citizens of the city to be prepared that this will be a multi-day restoration for most customers, possibly extending into Thursday.” A shelter has been set up for people seeking shelter from the cold while the power remains out. Duke Energy officials say based on the damage some people in Moore County could be without power until Thursday. Copyright © 2022 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.
