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Authorities hope new lead will bring arrest in Moore County power grid attack

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

FBI searches for minivan The FBI is sharing a photo of a minivan seen the night of Moore County power grid attack and is asking anyone who saw it that night to call them.

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — Nearly a year after two shootings took down a North Carolina power grid, leaving tens of thousands of people in the dark, investigators still don’t know who was responsible.

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The FBI is sharing a photo of a minivan seen the night of the attack and is asking anyone who saw it that night to call them.

Van of interest in Moore County substation attacks Nearly a year after two shootings took down a North Carolina power grid, leaving tens of thousands of people in the dark, investigators are still figuring out who was responsible. The FBI is sharing a photo of a minivan seen the night of the attack and is asking anyone who saw it that night to call them.

The electrical power grid in Moore County was “intentionally attacked” on Dec. 3, 2022. More than 45,000 customers lost power for nearly a week.

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A woman who required an oxygen machine to help her breathe at night died during the blackout. Her death has been ruled a homicide.

The two substations damaged in the attack, which are operated by Duke Energy, are about 10 miles apart and are located in the towns of West End and Carthage.

Substation attack A state of emergency has been declared in Moore County after the electrical power grid was “intentionally attacked”, causing a major outage. (WTVD)

The FBI has been leading the investigation into the attack. Since it happened, the North Carolina legislature has signed a law that increases punishment for intentionally damaging utility equipment.

Authorities still don’t know who is responsible for the attack, but they hope whoever was driving the minivan they’re looking for might have answers.

The van is likely silver or light blue, according to the FBI. It’s a 2011 to 2017 Honda Odyssey.

Investigators asked anyone who saw the van on Dec. 3, 2022 between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 910-947-4444 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

There is a combined reward of up to $100,000 in the case. The FBI, Moore County, the North Carolina Governor’s Office, and Duke Energy are each offering up to $25,000 for tips that could solve it.

(WATCH PREVIOUS: Power restored: Moore County residents try to return to normal after substation attack)

Power restored: Moore County residents try to return to normal after substation attack


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