During a news conference held on Friday afternoon, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw identified Doyle Wayne Whisenhunt, a 66-year-old resident of Lockesburg, Arkansas, as a person of interest in the incident that occurred at the Oconee Nuclear Facility in South Carolina. Whisenhunt is currently at large, and law enforcement agencies are actively searching for him.

According to Sheriff Crenshaw, Whisenhunt, who is wanted in Arkansas for drug and weapons charges, was identified after his car, a silver 2002 Toyota Camry, was located in Pickens County. It was found abandoned deep in the woods near a private residence off Stoneybrook Circle. The vehicle appeared to have become stuck before being abandoned.

Authorities believe that Whisenhunt abandoned the vehicle around 9 p.m. on Thursday and may have requested a ride out of the area. However, his current whereabouts are unknown, and no signs of him have been found in the immediate vicinity. Investigative agencies, including the FBI, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division), and the Pickens County Sheriff's Office, are collaborating to determine the direction Whisenhunt may have traveled after abandoning the vehicle. K9 units have been deployed in the search efforts.

The incident at the Oconee Nuclear Facility took place on Thursday night. Master Deputy Jimmy Watt, from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office, provided details of the event. According to Watt, around 8 p.m., the suspect drove his Toyota Camry through the exit side of the gate on the Highway 183 side of the facility. As security at the plant activated pop-up barricades, the driver struck them before reversing the vehicle and proceeding down a dirt road. Duke Energy security then blocked the vehicle.

Ignoring the obstruction, the suspect drove through a fence and attempted to hit the security officers before leaving the facility. He then traveled into Pickens County and stopped on Jones Mill Road, where shots were fired. However, there is no evidence of a shootout or the suspect returning fire. The homeowner fired a warning shot in the air, prompting the suspect to flee the scene.

The individual involved had also shown up at the Oconee Nuclear Station prior to the incident at the nuclear facility. After being asked to leave the property, the suspect left the area.

Law enforcement authorities are currently searching for the suspect's silver 2002 Toyota Camry with an Arkansas license plate numbered 380VDR.

The Oconee Nuclear Station, operated by Duke Energy, is one of the largest nuclear plants in the nation with three reactors. The facility has been in operation since 1973 and has safely generated over 500 million megawatt-hours of electricity. Duke Energy assured the public that the nuclear station is operating safely and that multiple layers of security prevented the vehicle from accessing the plant.

If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect or any potential sightings of the mentioned vehicle, they are urged to contact the Pickens County Sheriff's Office at (864) 898-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.