North Carolina Senate Race: Armed Candidate Arrested Near School
Libertarian hopeful Jonathan Miller was detained after a standoff near Resurrection Lutheran School followed viral posts on X.
By Ana Castro ·
Jonathan Miller, a Libertarian candidate for a North Carolina state Senate seat, was arrested Monday after a multi-hour armed standoff near a private school. The confrontation ended without gunfire but left local authorities and the public on edge as Miller posted updates on social media throughout the morning.
The incident began after Miller posted messages on X suggesting he was being pursued by law enforcement. Around 9:38 a.m., he wrote that the police department was chasing him with guns drawn. He added that he had six shots and high ground, hoping they would not find him but predicting a dramatic encounter if they did. By 10:04 a.m., he told Chase Oliver, the 2024 Libertarian presidential nominee, that he had reached the tree line.
Police received calls from concerned citizens after Miller posted messages Sunday night indicating he was considering suicide. Officers attempted to check on his welfare Monday morning. During the encounter, Miller was carrying a firearm. He fled when ordered not to touch the weapon, leading to the search in the wooded area near the school.
Miller spoke to WRAL, a local NBC affiliate, during the standoff. He said he was depressed and suicidal the night before and had posted a suicide note on X that went viral. He described the morning sequence, stating that a police officer approached him, saw his holstered revolver, and ordered him to keep his hands away from it. Miller said he refused the order, backed away, and ran into the woods. He noted that millions of people had seen his posts, compared to his usual 50 views.
Cary Police Chief Terry Sult stated that Miller had a warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police urged the public to avoid the area due to fears for public safety. Resurrection Lutheran School, a private K-8 institution, was placed under a code yellow lockdown for part of the day. Miller posted around 1:46 p.m. that a negotiator had called him while officers moved in, prompting him to run again.
Law enforcement closed in on Miller around 3 p.m. and arrested him without incident. He has been charged with communicating threats, resisting a public officer, going armed to the terror of the people, and possession of a firearm by a felon. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina said it was aware of the situation and thanked officers for resolving it without violence. Miller is running on a platform that includes weakening police legal protections and repealing drug laws.
