Family Grieves After Mother’s Death Linked to Moore County Substation Attack

Moore County, North Carolina — A tragic event on December 3, 2022, has shattered the lives of a local family following a shooting that left up to 40,000 customers without power. The attack on two electrical substations directly caused the death of 87-year-old Karin Zoanelli, who relied on an electronic oxygen machine due to heart disease.

When the power outage occurred, her oxygen concentrator ceased to function, ultimately leading to her death at her home in Pinehurst. An autopsy confirmed that the failure of her oxygen supply was a critical factor in her demise, classifying her death as a homicide. “Since the power outage involved reportedly occurred in the setting of a criminal firearm attack on the regional electrical distribution substation, the manner of death is best classified as a homicide,” the autopsy read.

Barbara Vitarelli, Zoanelli’s daughter, conveyed her sorrow, stating, “I do. I absolutely do. It was murder. But for that power outage, she might still be here.” Vitarelli emphasized the detrimental impact of the incident on her family, including her father, Bruno Zoanelli, who discovered his wife unresponsive on their bedroom floor.

“He said, ‘Yeah, she couldn’t breathe. She tried to get up, and she collapsed and she died,’” Vitarelli recalled. She expressed frustration over the lack of accountability for those responsible for the shooting that precipitated the power outage. “You should be held accountable for it,” she asserted.

The North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office identified no contributing injuries or substances in Zoanelli’s system at the time of her death. Vitarelli voiced concern about the impact of the incident on her father, stating, “I think he’s just going through the motions. I don’t think his zest for life is there anymore.”

The couple had dedicated over a decade of retirement in Pinehurst after years of working in the Washington, D.C. area. Vitarelli shared fond memories of her parents, explaining how they were inseparable throughout their lives together.

Karin Zoanelli was born in Germany before World War II and experienced tremendous loss during her childhood. After the war, she became a figure skater and later worked as a journalist for United Press International. Vitarelli illustrated how her mother’s life transformed when she met her father, a love story that began on the beaches of Italy.

Nearly three years later, the investigation remains unresolved, with authorities still searching for answers regarding the individuals responsible for the shooting. As the Zoanelli family continues to mourn, the local community grapples with the harrowing consequences of violence and the safety of their surroundings.