NC - State of Emergency Declared in Moore County - Criminal Attack on Power Substations - 45K W/O Power

[Hoopsticks]

Also, I'm reading there were only 2 dozen casings found.

 

[Hoosgirl]

FBI poster, posted by @FBICharlotte

 

[Hoosgirl]

A $75,000 reward is being offered in the search for the gun-wielding suspects who attacked vital infrastructure equipment over the weekend and caused a massive electrical blackout in a North Carolina county.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced the reward Wednesday afternoon, saying, such attacks "will not be tolerated."

Cooper said the state, Moore County and Duke Energy each contributed $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for what authorities have been deemed a "criminal occurrence."

(snip)

Federal search warrants have been applied for as part of the investigation into the attacks, a local law enforcement source told ABC News on Wednesday.

(snip)

While no new significant details on the investigation were released Wednesday, Moore County Chief Sheriff Deputy Richard Maness told ABC News that investigators are are closely analyzing evidence discovered at the two crime scenes and following up on tips from the public. No arrests have been announced and authorities have not commented on a possible motive.

"I can confirm that multiple shell casings were recovered," said Maness, who declined to say what type of firearm was used in the attack or the caliber of the shell casings collected.

(snip)

[Governor] Cooper reiterated that the criminal or criminals knew what they were doing when the power stations were riddled with bullets.

(snip)

What was done was an intentional act. It was not a random act," [Sheriff]Fields said.

$75K reward offered in NC power grid attacks that caused major blackout

A $75,000 reward is being offered in the search for the gun-wielding suspects who attacked vital infrastructure equipment in a North Carolina county.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Hoosgirl]

Officials with the Charlotte office of the FBI are involved with the investigation, as are officials with the state Bureau of Investigation.

In a terse statement, Shelly Lynch, public affairs specialist for the FBI said, "FBI Charlotte is investigating the willful damage to power facilities in Moore County."

"We are in regular contact with local law enforcement and private sector partners. Due to the ongoing investigation, the FBI has no additional comment."

All-Out Effort Underway to Investigate Power Station Attack

Federal, state and local authorities on Monday said they were continuing to press their investigation into Saturday night's attack on two power transmission substations in Carthage and West End.

www.thepilot.com

 

[Hoosgirl]

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields spoke at Wednesday’s briefing, providing no investigative update. The agency has stood steady in its stance that the release of portions of the investigations that come out could “jeopardize” any potential arrests.​

“Before we go into talking about possible suspects and leads publicly before the person is even charged or arrested, we could jeopardize being able to hold them accountable,” Fields said. “We ask all our citizens here in Moore County to please be patient with us.”

The sheriff’s office has expanded the scope of its investigation, and now is asking for anyone with doorbell or home security cameras in the areas of the two substations that were attacked Saturday night to provide any information.

“I want to affirm to the people here in Moore County that we are working around the clock, every hour. I know some people don’t see us around here and about, they don’t understand they don’t understand what we are doing and we know it’s frustrating to you,” Fields said. “Every investigator working on this case — state, local and federal — knows what you want, and that’s answers. We want to know who and why.”

Thursday Update: Power Returns, Curfew Lifted as Investigation Continues

Search warrants have been applied for as investigators enter day five of finding those responsible for shooting two power substations in Moore County Saturday night.

www.thepilot.com

 

[Tillicum]

Our electric company more than doubled our rates in June. There are a lot of very unhappy customers, myself included. Anyhow, I just checked Duke's energy rates to see if they'd had a major increase that could've set a hothead off. Their rates are the same as ours were before the rate hike though.

 

[Hoosgirl]

Investigators – who have found nearly two dozen shell casings from a high-powered rifle – are zeroing in on two threads of possible motives centered around extremist behavior for the weekend assault on two North Carolina electric substations, according to law-enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

(snip)

Bullets recovered from the sites, and the brass shell casings found a short distance away, are the few pieces of physical evidence that investigators have.

Because of the heat generated in a high-powered rifle’s chamber during rapid fire, fingerprints are burned away – and nearly impossible to recover from spent casings. Still, the brass may offer valuable clues.

(snip)

The spot where the casings were found can give investigators a way to pinpoint the firing positions. Knowing where the shooter fired from could lead to discoveries such as shoe prints and tire tracks.

Investigators are zeroing in on two possible motives centered around extremist behavior in NC power stations attacks, sources say | CNN

Nearly two dozen shell casings from a high-powered rifle have been recovered from the sites where gunfire disabled two North Carolina electric substations last weekend and left much of a county without electricity service for days, according to law enforcement sources.

www.cnn.com

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I can't imagine it would be related to a drag show - taking out thousands of people's electricity in the process? Why not just target the venue if you're that upset about it? That said, drag shows are a hoot, even in the dark. My family is British. It's amazing how men dressing up as women has been entertainment since time immemorial. The British panto is a family affair. Drag shows aren't going to stop because of a handful of uptight, insecure folks.

 

[catgirlx]

I think this is bigger than a drag show. Did anyone see 25 people were arrested today in Germany for planning a coup on the goverment?

"To facilitate the coup, the electricity network would be sabotaged. Satellite phones to communicate off grid had already been bought."

"That is what German prosecutors and intelligence officials say a nationwide far-right terrorist network was plotting before 3,000 police officers and Special Forces fanned out across the country on Wednesday to raid 150 homes and arrest 25 suspected co-conspirators. They included an active duty soldier, a former officer in the elite special forces, a police officer and at least two army reservists."

Also interesting: "According to the members of the group, liberation is promised by the imminent intervention of the “Alliance,” a technically superior secret coalition of governments, intelligence services and militaries of various states, including Russia and the United States, according to the prosecutors."

Germany Arrests 25 Suspected of Planning to Overthrow Government (Published 2022)

Among those detained were a German prince, a former far-right member of Parliament, an active soldier and former members of the police and elite special forces.

www.nytimes.com

 

[airportwoman]

Also, I'm reading there were only 2 dozen casings found.

Someone on another website wondered why they didn't use one of these, and maybe they did but they filled it up.

AR-15 Brass Catcher | Caldwell

AR-15 Brass Catcher

www.caldwellshooting.com

 

[MimosaMornings]

Moore County, NC power grid attack: What we know so far

A malicious attack on the power grid in Moore County that some liken to terrorism knocked out power Saturday to 40K customers.

www.fayobserver.com

“Fields said detectives spoke to the woman, using a Southern colloquialism in his statement that led some to believe law enforcement prayed with her.

"There is an individual that put some information on Facebook that was false," he said. "Yes, we had to go and interview this young lady and have a word of prayer with her, but it turned out to be nothing."

Much like the phrase "come to Jesus;" "have a word of prayer" means to have a "stern and serious" conversation, Chief Deputy Richard Maness said.”

 

[FlossyMay]

Moore County, NC power grid attack: What we know so far

A malicious attack on the power grid in Moore County that some liken to terrorism knocked out power Saturday to 40K customers.

www.fayobserver.com

“Fields said detectives spoke to the woman, using a Southern colloquialism in his statement that led some to believe law enforcement prayed with her.

"There is an individual that put some information on Facebook that was false," he said. "Yes, we had to go and interview this young lady and have a word of prayer with her, but it turned out to be nothing."

Much like the phrase "come to Jesus;" "have a word of prayer" means to have a "stern and serious" conversation, Chief Deputy Richard Maness said.”

We’ll I’m glad they set that straight. I’ve never heard the term “word of prayer”, but I’ve had plenty of come to Jesus meetings, lol.

 

[sds71]

Duke Energy says they are working with FBI to investigate. "We are aware of reports of gunfire near the Wateree Hydro Station in Ridgeway SC," a spox told @CBSNews "No individuals were harmed. There are no outages reported. There is no known property damage at this time."

The incident comes on the heels of a widespread power outage in Moore County, NC following a "deliberate" attack on another Duke Energy facility. It remains unclear if events are connected.

Shots fired near Duke Energy facility in South Carolina

It was not clear if the facility itself was targeted.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[dgfred]

Well... it was intentional according to the Gov.

Of course sir!

 

[Hoosgirl]

On Thursday, investigators issued multiple search warrants related to attack on power grid. The warrants, which will remain sealed, are on the state level.

The FBI has also applied for a Federal Order to retrieve cell phone records to identify people in the area of the substations on Saturday night.

They are still working on finding the suspects and the motive.

“If we would have found them easily, we would have had someone under arrest by now," said the Moore County Sheriff's Office.

With power restored, heavily-armed guards with long guns were seen protecting substations in Moore County.

Search warrants issued, FBI applies to retrieve cell phone records in search of power grid attack suspects

The country was warned about terror attacks that could target U.S. infrastructure and certain groups days before shootings that knocked out Moore County's power grid, leaving tens of thousands without heat or electricity.

www.google.com

 

[vls12345]

I think this is bigger than a drag show. Did anyone see 25 people were arrested today in Germany for planning a coup on the goverment?

"To facilitate the coup, the electricity network would be sabotaged. Satellite phones to communicate off grid had already been bought."

"That is what German prosecutors and intelligence officials say a nationwide far-right terrorist network was plotting before 3,000 police officers and Special Forces fanned out across the country on Wednesday to raid 150 homes and arrest 25 suspected co-conspirators. They included an active duty soldier, a former officer in the elite special forces, a police officer and at least two army reservists."

Also interesting: "According to the members of the group, liberation is promised by the imminent intervention of the “Alliance,” a technically superior secret coalition of governments, intelligence services and militaries of various states, including Russia and the United States, according to the prosecutors."

Germany Arrests 25 Suspected of Planning to Overthrow Government (Published 2022)

Among those detained were a German prince, a former far-right member of Parliament, an active soldier and former members of the police and elite special forces.

www.nytimes.com

There's a thread for the potential coup in Germany...

Germany, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, 71, arrested with 25 others accused of plotting a violent coup to overthrow the German gov't, 07 Dec 2022.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/heinrich-xiii-prince-suspected-plotting-be-german-kaiser-coup-2022-12-07/ BERLIN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss is one of the last descendents of a dynasty that once ruled over swathes of eastern Germany. He is suspected of hoping to become...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Hoopsticks]

So. . . There's This?

Maybe worth considering a connection?

Hstoday Accelerationist Guide Calls for Metcalf-Style Attacks on ‘Sitting Duck’ Electricity Infrastructure - HS Today

Extremists claim that with an extended blackout "all hell will break lose [sic]" and white supremacists would be poised to take control.

www.hstoday.us

 

[YaYa_521]

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article269713541.html

8 Dec 2022
SBM

Three weeks before someone shot and damaged two power substations in Moore County, another substation was deliberately disabled near the Eastern North Carolina town of Maysville. The substation was damaged on Friday, Nov. 11, shutting down electricity for about 12,000 homes and businesses served by the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative. [snip] In a statement posted on its website a few days after the incident, the cooperative describes it as “vandalism.” The company said vandals damaged transformers, causing them to leak coolant oil, but the statement doesn’t say how.

#More at link

Cooperative Substation Vandalized | Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op

www.ccemc.com

 

[dgfred]

How can they get phone stuff for a general area? Wouldn't they have to have probable cause for certain persons for that?

 

[Trebor5591]

Here is an interesting article exploring the attacks on electrical substations that have been happening across the nation. From the article:

"Nearly 600 electric emergency incidents and disturbances were caused by suspected and confirmed physical attacks and vandalism on the electric grid in those nine years, the reports show. There have been 106 attack or vandalism incidents from January through August 2022, which is the latest the Energy Department data tracks. Among the years reviewed by NBC News, 2022 is the first that reached triple digits and it only contains eight months of data."

End Of The American Dream

Life As You Have Known It Will Never Be The Same Again...

endoftheamericandream.com