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A Georgia man accused of ripping down a Trump 2024 banner and opening fire on a North Carolina home has been arrested, authorities said.
Benjamin Michael Campbell, 37, was taken into custody on Sept. 30 in Georgia and extradited to North Carolina on Oct. 7, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office said.
He faces charges of 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.
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Benjamin Michael Campbell allegedly ripped down a “Trump” banner off an old sign at a North Carolina home. As he was pulling away in his car, he allegedly opened his sunroof and fired his gun in the owner’s direction. (Swain County Sheriff’s Office)
Campbell was reportedly speeding along a highway in Nantahala Gorge, N.C., on Sept. 6 when he spotted the flag hanging in Mark Thomas’s front yard, Thomas told the New York Post.
He allegedly tore down the banner before firing multiple shots at Thomas from the sunroof of his car, missing him by just a few feet, according to video of the incident.
“He was driving along, saw the sign, slammed on his brakes — you know, had a political trigger moment — and he just had to tear the sign down,” Thomas, 62, told the Daily Mail.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Thomas for comment.
Police responded to the scene, but Campbell had driven off by the time they arrived, authorities said.
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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally. (Fox News)
Investigators later obtained a video of the confrontation that Thomas posted to YouTube, according to the sheriff’s office.
“I’m a Trump supporter,” Thomas told the Daily Mail. “I have weapons for my protection and my enjoyment, and I keep them handy. You know, what good are they if you can’t get to them when you need them? So I reached over and grabbed my rifle.”
Thomas compared the incident to the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, which occurred four days later on Sept. 10.
“Charlie Kirk — you know, his incident was absolutely tragic,” he said. “No one died here in my yard, but flip the coin, snap your fingers, somebody could have died here. And it’s very similar to the Charlie Kirk incident.”
An image of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk is placed at a memorial in his honor, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The State Department said it has revoked the visas of several foreigners over negative comments about Kirk’s assassination. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)
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“The same type of people are the ones behind both shootings,” he added. “It’s becoming much more common.”