MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — The FBI Charlotte Field Office is offering two separate $25,000 rewards for information following shootings at electrical substations in Randolph County and Moore County, North Carolina.
Deputies responded to a vandalism call at a power substation on Post Road in Randolph County back in January. A representative of EnergyUnited reported the attack to the company, allowing them to assess the damage.
The investigation in Randolph County comes after shots were fired at two Duke Energy substations in Moore County in December, causing approximately 45,000 customers to lose power, some up to five days.
The FBI is now offering two separate $25,000 rewards for the identification, arrest, and conviction of suspects in both incidents.
At this time, investigators do not believe the shootings in Moore and Randolph counties are connected.
MORE NEWS: Lawmakers trying to increase penalties for those who intentionally destroy electrical infrastructure
Lawmakers from both North Carolina and South Carolina are pushing for change they say will better protect electric facilities. A call to action comes after a series of attacks on the power grids in the Carolinas.
Federal data analyzed by WCNC Charlotte shows not only are targeted attacks against the electric grid more common than people might think, efforts to physically attack, sabotage and vandalize have hit a 10-year high in the United States in 2022.
“This kind of attack raises a new level of threat,” Governor Roy Cooper said during a press conference during the outage.