Swain County deputies are seeking a suspect after a confrontation over a "Trump 2024" banner in rural Bryson City, North Carolina, on Sept. 6 that the business owner said escalated into exchanged gunfire.
Officials said they were called to the Paddle Inn Rafting Company just before 6 p.m. after reports of shots fired. Deputies found the scene quiet; the Swain County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was over by the time they arrived and asked anyone who recognizes the vehicle shown in released photographs to call investigators.
The owner of the rafting company, Mark Thomas, posted surveillance footage online that he said showed a man stopping on the highway, approaching a bus parked on the property and ripping banners from the vehicle. Thomas, who said the bus and banners belong to his mother and were parked in their yard, told local media and posted on social media that he was monitoring CCTV when he observed the confrontation.
Thomas said he retrieved a rifle and fired two warning shots into the air after the man left the banner on the ground. He said the man then rolled back the sunroof of his Jeep, pointed a gun and fired two rounds toward Thomas, who said one bullet struck something solid near him. Thomas said the driver later circled back and fired several additional rounds before leaving the scene.
Thomas described the man who removed the banner as an "ignorant leftist" in a social media post and told Fox News the episode underscored concerns about politically motivated violence. "Society in general is really, really, disappointing," Thomas said. "The political violence has to stop. People have to call out the perpetrators."
The Swain County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it is searching for the vehicle depicted in the footage and has released photographs of the Jeep. The office asked anyone with information to call (828) 488-0159 or Swain County Dispatch at (828) 488-2196. Deputies did not immediately list any arrests or formally identify the suspect.
The owner’s account, posted video and the sheriff’s announcement are the primary sources of publicly available details. Surveillance footage circulating online appears to show a handgun protruding from the sunroof of a vehicle and the subsequent removal of the banner, but investigators have not released a full statement detailing the sequence of shots or forensic findings.
The episode in Swain County comes amid heightened national attention to politically charged incidents. Thomas referenced the recent shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, saying the nation is "reeling" and urging residents to "see something, say something, do something. Become part of a respectable community and make it known that we will not stand for this stuff." Those comments reflect concerns from across the political spectrum about violence tied to political disputes.
Local law enforcement is continuing to investigate. The sheriff’s office asked anyone who recognizes the Jeep or who may have witnessed the events near the Paddle Inn Rafting Company on Sept. 6 to contact the provided phone numbers. Media and law-enforcement requests for additional comment from Thomas and the sheriff’s office were pending.