Vandalism against a Trump banner turns to gunfire at a Nantahala Gorge business
By Elijah Skipper
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SWAIN COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — What began as vandalism outside a rafting company in the Nantahala Gorge escalated into gunfire, according to the Swain County Sheriff’s Office and the business owner who caught the incident on camera.
On Sept. 6, deputies were dispatched around 5:52 p.m. to the Paddle Inn Rafting Company on Highway 19 West for reports of shots fired. Sheriff Brian Kirkland said a deputy responded but did not see the suspect vehicle at the scene. Days later, investigators became aware of a video of the confrontation that was published on YouTube.
Owner Mark Thomas told News 13 he was watching his CCTV cameras when he saw a Jeep slam on its brakes and back up near his property. He said the driver got out, walked across the road, and tore down a Trump banner belonging to his 87-year-old mother.
“I got it up the screen and I’m like, okay, what’s this clown doing?” Thomas said. “And when he got a grip on it that first time he pulled the sign, I was like, I shouldn’t have waited. I could have saved mom’s sign.”
Thomas said he stepped onto his porch with a rifle but did not aim at the suspect. “I don’t want to kill anybody. My life has got to be in threat. I fired two shots in the air,” he added.
According to Thomas, the man in the Jeep fired back several rounds from the road. At one point, Thomas said he heard at least five or six more shots while he was on the phone with 911.
“Who in the world would be psycho enough to come back to a Trump supporter on a porch with a rifle?” Thomas said.
Despite what happened, Thomas said he is not looking for revenge.
“I don’t want to see him get 20 years in jail, but I want him to have some time to think a mark that he carries with him that reminds him I did some stupid stuff when I was young, and the opportunity to make it right, to live a normal life, be a productive citizen,” Thomas said.
Sheriff Kirkland confirmed to News 13 that the vehicle involved has been identified. “We are currently conducting a criminal investigation regarding this incident,” Kirkland said. “The vehicle involved has been identified, and we are coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies to effectively bring this investigation to a close.”
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