A 37-year-old Georgia resident has been taken into custody for allegedly tearing down a “Trump 2024” banner from a North Carolina home before firing multiple shots toward the property from his vehicle.
Authorities from Swain County say the suspect—identified as Benjamin Michael Campbell—halted his car in Nantahala Gorge on Sept. 6 after spotting the banner in the yard of a 62-year-old homeowner. The suspect then reportedly climbed on tip-toes to remove the sign and discharged a handgun through his sunroof as the homeowner fired warning shots from inside the residence.
Campbell was later located in Cobb County, Georgia, arrested on charges including felony assault with a deadly weapon and firing a firearm in a building to incite fear. He was extradited back to North Carolina, where he is being held on a $70,000 bond.
Investigators say the motive appears politically driven, with the banner belonging to the homeowner’s elderly mother. Surveillance video corroborates the sequence of events, and law enforcement continues to examine Campbell’s actions and background.