Law enforcement officials are trying to determine how a flash-bang explosive device ended up about 150 yards away from voters at an early voting site in Moore County on Wednesday.
Aberdeen police say they’ve increased their presence at the early voting site at 301 Lake Park Crossing after finding the remnants of a flashbang, a small explosive device often used by law enforcement agencies to disperse crowds.
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The explosion didn’t cause any injuries or damage, but it startled many of the people at the voting site, police Capt. Shannon Blackburn told WRAL. Witnesses believe someone threw the device from a car on nearby U.S. 1, she said.
“We believe the poll was targeted,” Blackburn told WRAL.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections is monitoring the investigation, spokesman Jason Tyson told WRAL. Voter intimidation is a crime.
“Any disruptions will come to our attention. We want to reassure people who are going to the polls that we will do everything we can to keep them safe,” Tyson said.
The explosion caught the attention of dozens of people outside the polling site Wednesday, said Ray Daly, a candidate for state senate. Daly, who is running against incumbent Sen. Tom McInnis in the District 21 GOP primary, who was campaigning outside the polling site at the time.
The noise “startled everybody at the polls,” Daly told WRAL, adding: “Then, police showed up after and we didn’t know what was going on. It was louder than gunshots.”
Witnesses didn’t identify the device at first, Blackburn said. Some thought an electrical transformer had exploded, she said. Near the sign for Aberdeen Lake Park — the location of the polling place — police found a black cylinder that’s about six inches long and two inches wide, Blackburn said.
Aberdeen police had no leads on a suspect as of Thursday afternoon, Blackburn said. So the department is offering a $500 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest. Tipsters can call 910-944-4566 or send Aberdeen police a private message on the department’s Facebook page.
Towanna Dixon, director of the Moore County Board of Elections, says voters shouldn’t be deterred from voting in Aberdeen or from voting early. Town police believe the explosion was an isolated incident.
“Our polling places are secure. They are safe, so we want people to still feel comfortable coming to the polling locations to cast their vote early or come to election day,” Dixon said.