Business Owned by Republican Candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff Burns Down, SBI Probe Underway

ASHEVILLE – Amid the heightened sense of danger related to political terrorism, a North Carolina Republican candidate’s business has burned down and state authorities are investigating the matter.

From Asheville Citizen Times:

“An early Friday morning fire gutted a tire shop owned by Shad Higgins, the Republican candidate for Buncombe County sheriff.

Fire crews arrived at Weaverville Tire & Wheel around 5 a.m., Buncombe County Sheriff’s Capt. John Elkins said.Three fire departments responded to the call: Weaverville, Reems Creek and Jupiter.

By 8:30 a.m., about eight trucks remained and the building was smoking. No one was injured in the fire.

Four agencies, Weaverville fire marshal, Buncombe County fire marshal, Asheville Buncombe Arson Task Force and the State Bureau of Investigation, are investigating, said Terry Gentry, deputy fire marshal with Buncombe County.

The fire’s cause had not been identified.

“Based on the totality of the circumstances — who owns it and what time of year — the SBI is taking the lead at the request of local agencies,” Gentry said. 

SBI special agent Matt Davis said the agency has no timeline for the investigation.

Higgins’ shop employed no more than five people.

“That’s everything I’ve worked for,” he said at the scene Friday morning. “I just hope and pray that it’s not arson.””

Like Higgins said, let’s hope this is not arson, especially a politically motivated one. It was only two years ago that an Orange County GOP headquarters was firebombed and vandalized in Hillsborough. That crime was never solved, though authorities suspect local anarachists/Leftists were responsible. In Orange County that is not implausible.

Similarly, Buncombe County is a hotbed of radical Leftists, making this investigation one to watch.