Police said a major power outage in North Carolina that left nearly 40,000 people in the dark on Saturday night was caused by “deliberate vandalism” at multiple substations.
Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said in a statement that the outage that began shortly after 7 p.m. “is being investigated as a crime.”
Police Chief Mike Cameron of the Southern Pines Fire and Rescue Department told the local newspaper, Pilotthat the substation was damaged by gunfire.
The sheriff did not say what the motive might be, but a local conservative activist, who organized a protest against a drag show, said on Facebook that she had been told by her deputy. visit.
“I welcome them to my home. Sorry they wasted their time,” wrote Emily Grace Rainey.
“I told them that God works in mysterious ways and is responsible for the blackout. I took this opportunity to tell them about the immoral tug of war and the blasphemies of its supporters. I told them God was punishing Moore County, thanked them for coming and good night. Thanks for LEO’s service, as always.”
Two hours earlier, Rainey had posted a notice: “Moore County lost power and I know why.” And at the same time, she posted a photo of the Sunrise Theater, where a sold-out pull-out was taking place, with the caption “God will not be mocked.”
Several dozen protesters gathered outside the theater on Saturday night, and the performance, “Downtown Divas,” a fundraiser for Sandhills Pride, took place under tight security.
It’s not clear if investigators think the sabotage that caused the outage has any connection to the event.
