FBI offers $25,000 rewards in 2 different N.C. electrical substation shootings

Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The FBI's Charlotte Field Office is offering rewards of up to $25,000 for information on two separate investigations of shooting incidents at electrical substations in North Carolina late last year and last month.

"On the evening of December 3, 2022, unknown suspect(s) fired multiple shots at two Duke Energy Substations in Moore County, North Carolina," reads an incident description on the FBI's website. "The damage led to a massive power outage of approximately 45,000 customers."

In those incidents, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said the damage was "extensive" and evidence at the scenes showed a firearm had been used to disable equipment.

On January 17, someone fired shots at an EnergyUnited substation located in Thomasville in Randolph County.

"At this time, investigators do not believe the shootings in Moore and Randolph counties are connected," reads the text of a press release from the FBI Friday, adding that agents continue to work with the Moore County and the Randolph County sheriff's offices on the cases.