HILLSBOROUGH -- Governor Pat McCrory announced  that the state is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the firebombing that occurred at the Orange County Republican Headquarters.

"The firebombing of a local political headquarters was clearly an act of intimidation and I'm going to do everything I can to find the individual or individuals who committed this assault on our democracy," said Governor McCrory. "I remain committed to using every resource as governor to assist local authorities in this investigation."

On Sunday morning, October 16, 2016, at approximately 8:58 a.m., it was reported through the Orange County Communications Center that a fire had occurred at the Headquarters located at 347 Ja-Max Dr. in Hillsborough. The fire caused significant damage before extinguishing itself.

Hillsborough and FBI investigators collected video from numerous locations around the headquarters, which also was the site of an announced and unscheduled stop by Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence Tuesday.

“This was a very busy day in Hillsborough, and I am proud of our officers for the way they have managed both the investigation and the visit by Governor Pence today,” Hillsborough Police Chief Duane Hampton said in a press release. “I am also thankful for the continued assistance we have gotten from the federal government and our partners at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the support we continue to get from our community.”

Indiana Gov. Pence examined the damage from an arson and graffiti attack that occurred this past weekend on the Republican Party headquarters and spoke briefly around 1:30 p.m. today. He noted he is inspired by how the community has come together to move forward undeterred and unintimidated. He also thanked North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens, first responders and law enforcement at every level who are “working diligently to hold to strict account those who engaged in this attack on the American political system.”

Officers from the Hillsborough Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Secret Service with scene security and managing the Indiana governor’s visit. The Police Department was able to provide assistance without diverting any of the resources committed to the investigation.

Investigators from the Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked together throughout the day to follow up on leads and to seek additional evidence. Investigators continued to conduct interviews and canvasses related to the crime. The video collected from surrounding locations around the crime scene at 347 and 353 Ja-Max Drive in the Shops at Daniel Boone will be carefully reviewed and compared to other information investigators have collected. No information is available on what the videos may show.

At this time, investigators are confident that the flammable device thrown through a window of the Republican Party headquarters was a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid and which had some type of ignited material inserted into its opening. This type of device is commonly described as a “Molotov cocktail.” The evidence collected from the scene is undergoing analysis at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico. No further details are available at this time.

Anyone having information concerning this case should contact the State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 662-4500.