FBI says a van was spotted near shootings of NC power substations. Have you seen it?

Nearly a year after shootings damaged two energy substations in Moore County, leaving 45,000 people in the dark and one dead, investigators have released new information.

They’re looking for a van.

If you know where it is, and that leads to the investigation being solved, you could be looking at a $100,000 reward.

On Friday, in a joint news release, the FBI and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help in finding a minivan seen near both the substations on Dec. 3, the night of the shootings.

The substations, belonging to Duke Energy, were located 10 miles apart in West End and Carthage. The damage took out power for five days as workers scrambled to find replacement parts to get the substations back online.

In News & Observer stories published earlier this week, Rep. Richard Hudson criticized the FBI for not taking the shooting seriously enough and said he couldn’t get information from the agency about who might have done it, whether they were local and what their motivations could be. Other Moore County residents told The N&O they had seen little happening in the case over the past several months.

In Friday’s release, the agency did not accuse the occupants of the van of committing the crime. But investigators do say they believe the occupants might have information relevant to the shootings. The agency says agents and detectives are conducting “numerous lawful methods” to locate the van but did not elaborate.

The van is a silver or light blue Honda Odyssey made between 2011-2017. Investigators ask anyone who saw the van the night of the shooting between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (225-5324), the Moore County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 910-947-4444 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Duke Energy officials have referred all questions about the investigation to law enforcement, but spokesman Jeff Brooks said the new information is a plus.

“We are certainly encouraged with ongoing developments in the case and we’ll continue to support the case until those who are responsible are brought to justice,” Brooks said.

This story was originally published December 1, 2023 at 1:57 PM with the headline "FBI says a van was spotted near shootings of NC power substations. Have you seen it?."

Danielle Battaglia

McClatchy DC

Danielle Battaglia is the D.C. correspondent for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and elections. She also covers the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.