Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 2

North Carolina Police Arrest Man Outside Church With 2 Flamethrowers and 500 Rounds

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 2

North Carolina Police Arrest Man Outside Church With 2 Flamethrowers and 500 Rounds

Q: What was the ultimate plan for the schools and churches listed in the arrested man's notebook?

There is no confirmed public evidence yet of what William S. Milliken III ultimately intended to do with the schools, churches, and other sites listed in his notebook. What is known is that investigators found addresses, GPS coordinates, and a map of North Carolina alongside a large cache of weapons, body armor, police scanners, handcuff keys, duct tape, and items suggesting possible law-enforcement impersonation. Security experts cited in follow-up coverage said that kind of material is consistent with pre-attack surveillance or target selection for a “complex attacker” planning to strike accessible public places. Police have said only that they believe they stopped a potentially dangerous situation before it escalated. The reporting does not show that authorities have publicly identified a specific final target, timeline, or method of attack tied to the schools and churches in the notebook. So the most accurate answer is that his exact end plan remains unknown publicly, though the evidence strongly raised fears that he was compiling potential targets for a violent attack.

Q: A flamethrower is legal, so why is a North Carolina man facing a WMD charge?

He is not necessarily being charged because flamethrowers are illegal. In North Carolina, a “weapon of mass destruction” is a legal term that can cover more than bombs or chemical weapons, and the charge often depends on how a device is classified under state law and the surrounding facts of the case. In this case, police say Milliken was found at a church wearing camouflage and body armor, allegedly pretending to be law enforcement, with two flamethrowers, a launcher designed to resemble a handgun, crossbows, ammunition, knives, duct tape, scanners, handcuff keys, and a notebook listing churches, schools and public buildings with GPS coordinates. That broader context is likely central to why prosecutors used the WMD charge. The available reporting does not show exactly which item police or prosecutors are treating as the “weapon of mass destruction.” That matters because the charge may rest on a specific device found in the truck, not simply on the fact that he had flamethrowers. North Carolina law has long used the WMD label in ways that can include certain explosive, incendiary or other specially regulated weapons. So the short answer is that legality of owning a flamethrower by itself does not prevent a WMD charge. Prosecutors can still bring that charge if they believe one of the devices fits North Carolina’s statutory definition, especially when the arrest circumstances suggest preparation for violence. The precise legal basis should become clearer in court filings.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 2

High Point police arrested William S. Milliken III, 44, outside Wesley Memorial Church after a 911 caller reported an armed man in camouflage sitting in the parking lot.
Officers, aided by an off-duty officer at the church, took him into custody within minutes and later found two flamethrowers, two crossbows, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, three knives and duct tape in his truck.
Court documents cited by local media say investigators also found a notebook listing churches, schools and public buildings, plus GPS coordinates, body armor, police-scanner radios, handcuff keys and a large North Carolina map.
Milliken was charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, impersonating a law enforcement officer and possessing a Schedule II controlled substance; he is jailed on a $250,000 bond.
Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III said the quick arrest stopped a potentially dangerous situation before anyone attending Sunday services was hurt.

Sources

Fox News4h ago

William S. Milliken III Arrested with Flamethrowers, Crossbows, 500 Rounds Outside High Point Church

WXLV4h ago

High Point police arrest armed man outside church during services, seize ammo and weapons

CBS17.com4h ago

Thomasville man arrested after bringing flamethrowers to NC church

7 Sources

What was the ultimate plan for the schools and churches listed in the arrested man's notebook?

A flamethrower is legal, so why is a North Carolina man facing a WMD charge?

What does this 'complex attacker's' arsenal of flamethrowers and crossbows reveal about modern threats?

High Point Church Incident: Arrest, Weapons Cache, and Legal Fallout After June 28, 2026 Wesley Memorial Threat

Overview

On June 28, 2026, William S. Milliken III was arrested in the parking lot of Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point, North Carolina, after being found with weapons and body armor. The swift action of law enforcement, prompted by a vigilant community member’s 911 call, prevented the situation from escalating. Police confirmed Milliken was armed and wearing a plate carrier, and he was charged with multiple offenses. High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III praised both the officers and the community for their roles in averting potential harm, and the church later acknowledged the event and expressed gratitude for the prompt response.

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