Overview
- Authorities identified the suspect as Benjamin Michael Campbell of Atlanta, who faces charges including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury, discharging a firearm to incite fear, and willful injury to property.
- The Swain County Sheriff’s Office says Campbell was arrested in Georgia on Sept. 30, extradited to North Carolina on Oct. 7, and is being held on a $70,000 bond.
- Deputies report the Sept. 6 footage shows a man stopping along Highway 19 West in the Nantahala Gorge, crossing onto private property, and tearing down a pro‑Trump banner belonging to the homeowner’s 87‑year‑old mother.
- Homeowner Mark Thomas says he fired two warning shots from his porch before the driver returned and fired several rounds from a vehicle sunroof; no injuries were reported, and Thomas says a bullet struck a refrigerator on his porch.
- Investigators say the posted video was key to identifying the suspect and his vehicle, and they note that an initial court date and attorney information were not immediately available.