What Motivated the North Carolina Power Station Attacks?

In the absence of a clear motive, some are speculating that an attack on North Carolina substations was meant to thwart a nearby drag show, but there's no hard evidence of that.

The Theory: Local activist Emily Rainey is the focus of speculation. Just after the attack, she posted on Facebook a photo of the theater where the show was happening, with the caption, "God will not be mocked." When asked about the post, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said that Rainey's posts were "false," but didn't rule out a possible connection between the show and the attack. A photo of Rainey and Fields together at a political event then surfaced, leading to speculation of a cover-up. Rainey has since posted saying authorities have cleared her name, and on Tuesday, she said "whoever did this cowardly act to our community should be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

How the Media Covered It: Many sources across the spectrum focused on police statements regarding the attack. Some, including NBC News and Newsweek, focused on online rumors and theories about the attack targeting the drag show. NBC said the show "came after weeks of threats and hours of protests from far-right activists." Conversely, a CNN (Left bias) report said someone who organized the show "was unaware of any threats to the event before the attacks." An article from Townhall criticized how NBC "hyped the possibility that the attack could have been carried out by those on the right."