The FBI has been called in after two power stations in North Carolina were shot at, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity. Across Moore County, businesses, shops and restaurants have been forced to close, traffic lights were out and emergency shelters were set up following the attack.
A state of emergency has been declared and schools will be closed for a second day in a row. The declaration includes a county-wide overnight curfew until at least Friday.
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A total of 38,000 households remain without power amid freezing temperatures. At the peak, 45,000 were without electricity, Sky News reported.
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper warned of a “new level of threat” after by the incident and called for better protection of critical infrastructure.
“Protecting critical infrastructure like our power system must be a top priority,” he said.
“These kinds of things cannot happen.” he added.
Asked if the attack was being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism, Roy Cooper said “investigators are leaving no stone unturned”.
Police said the shooting was committed by someone with “criminal intent”.
