Moore County, North Carolina - Around 45,000 people in Moore County, North Carolina, are without power and the area is under a state of emergency after two substations were damaged by gunfire, according to authorities.

As of Sunday, about 45,000 customers were without power in Moore County.

The power outage began around 7:00 PM on Saturday after two electric substations were damaged by gunfire.

The problem could take days to repair, according to a spokesperson for Duke Energy Corporation, which provides power to thousands in the region, per multiple outlets.

Law enforcement officials are investigating the incident as a criminal act.

The county is under a state of emergency, which includes a curfew from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, which went into effect Sunday night. It's currently unclear if the curfew will be extended.

Schools in the area have been closed, and shelters have been set up to help people as they continue without power.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said at a press conference Sunday that the attack appeared targeted. "We faced something last night, here in Moore County, that we've never faced before. But I promise you, we are going to get through this, and we are going to get through this together," Fields said.

He didn't provide further information about the motive or the suspect, but shared that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation were also looking into the attack.