On September 6, 2025, a disturbing incident unfolded in North Carolina’s Nantahala Gorge, highlighting the growing political tensions in the United States. Benjamin Michael Campbell, a 38-year-old accountant from Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested for allegedly tearing down a Trump 2024 banner from a homeowner’s property and firing gunshots at the owner, Mark Thomas. The event, captured on security footage, has sparked conversations about political division and violence in America.
The Incident
Mark Thomas, a 62-year-old river rafting business owner, was at his mother’s home when he noticed Campbell, wearing what Thomas described as an “Antifa-style mask,” stop his Jeep Cherokee to rip down a Trump banner displayed on a bus parked in the front yard. According to Thomas, Campbell was speeding along the highway when he abruptly stopped after spotting the banner. Enraged, Campbell tore it down and, as he drove away, allegedly fired multiple shots through his car’s sunroof toward Thomas, narrowly missing him.
Thomas, a firm supporter of the Second Amendment, grabbed his rifle and fired two warning shots into the air. Campbell fled but reportedly returned moments later, firing additional shots that struck a refrigerator inside the home. “Some people just snap,” Thomas told Fox News, expressing shock that the suspect was a professional in his late 30s, not a younger individual as he initially assumed.
Legal Consequences
Campbell was arrested in Georgia on September 30 and extradited to North Carolina on October 7. He faces serious charges, including felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury, discharging a firearm within an enclosure to incite fear, and willful and wanton injury to personal property. The Swain County Sheriff’s Office used security footage posted by Thomas on YouTube to identify and apprehend Campbell.
A Reflection of Political Divide
Thomas believes the incident reflects the deepening political hostility in the nation. He compared it to the tragic assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, which occurred just four days later on September 10. “No one died here in my yard, but flip the coin, snap your fingers, somebody could have died,” Thomas said, emphasizing the potential for deadly outcomes in such confrontations. He argued that the same type of ideological divide fuels these acts of violence, pointing to public statements from some Democratic officials that he believes encourage hostility toward conservatives.
Thomas’s Perspective
Despite the danger, Thomas expressed a desire to understand Campbell’s motivations. “I’d really like to talk to that guy and find out what’s in his head,” he said, noting how close Campbell came to losing his life over a political banner. Thomas even considered putting money in Campbell’s jail account to facilitate a conversation. He also mentioned that his mother had additional Trump signs on her property, which Campbell didn’t see, suggesting the incident could have escalated further.
Thomas credited his restraint and Campbell’s poor aim for preventing a tragedy. “The only thing that saved his life was the fact that he couldn’t shoot that well,” he remarked, adding that he had no intention of harming Campbell unless absolutely necessary.
Broader Implications
This incident, reported by Fox News on October 20 and 21, 2025, underscores the volatile intersection of politics and violence in America. The shooting, combined with the high-profile assassination of Charlie Kirk, has raised concerns about the safety of expressing political views. Thomas believes these events are a wake-up call, urging people to recognize the dangers of unchecked political animosity.
As the nation grapples with these divisions, stories like this serve as a stark reminder of the need for dialogue and de-escalation. For Thomas, the incident was a close call that could have ended in tragedy, but it also left him determined to seek understanding, even with the man who shot at him.