What Police Found Outside a High Point Church—and What Remains Unknown

Updated August 14, 2026.

Police arrested a heavily armed man in the parking lot of Wesley Memorial Church in High Point, North Carolina, during Sunday services on June 28, 2026. The arrest was made without injury, but the unusual weapons found in his truck—and the legal terminology used in one charge—generated headlines that need careful context.

This report separates what High Point police have confirmed from details reported in court records and from questions investigators have not yet answered.

What happened outside the church

According to the High Point Police Department, a 911 caller reported an armed man wearing camouflage in a truck at about 10:15 a.m. An off-duty officer working at the church approached him and called for additional officers.

Police identified the man as William S. Milliken III, 44, of Thomasville. Officers said they disarmed and arrested him without incident. No congregant, officer or suspect was reported injured.

The department said Milliken claimed he was a law-enforcement officer investigating a smoking violation. Police have not said that he held any law-enforcement authority.

What officers reported finding

The official police release says the truck contained a carbon-dioxide launcher made to resemble a handgun, two flamethrowers, two crossbows, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, black duct tape, three knives and pills identified as oxycodone. The combination—not one dramatic item in isolation—is why the discovery attracted national attention.

Local reporting based on court documents also described a notebook containing addresses for churches, schools and public buildings. That detail may be relevant to investigators, but an address list alone does not prove that any location was selected for an attack. Police had not announced a motive or a specific target plan in the sources reviewed for this update.

The charges and the “weapon of mass death and destruction” label

Police announced charges of felony possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction, misdemeanor impersonation of a law-enforcement officer and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. Charges are allegations; guilt must be determined in court.

North Carolina’s statutory phrase can sound as though it refers only to bombs or military weapons. In fact, G.S. 14-288.8 defines a broader set of prohibited devices. The statute includes certain fully automatic firearms, explosive devices and other weapons capable of causing widespread injury. Which recovered item supports the felony count is a legal issue for the case, not something a headline should guess.

The controlled-substance charge relates to the pills police said they recovered. The impersonation allegation concerns the reported claim of official authority. These are distinct counts, and none by itself establishes why the man was at the church.

What remains unknown

• Motive: Authorities had not publicly explained why Milliken went to Wesley Memorial Church.
• Intent: The published record did not establish a plan to harm congregants or attack another listed location.
• Case outcome: The arrest and first court appearance are not a conviction.
• Weapon analysis: Public summaries do not fully describe the condition, range or operability of every device.

Those gaps matter. Describing the arrest accurately does not require minimizing the risk, but it also does not justify turning unanswered questions into certainty.

Why the response mattered

The caller’s report and the presence of an off-duty officer allowed police to confront the situation quickly. Officers said the arrest occurred without incident, preventing an armed encounter from unfolding amid a congregation gathered for worship.

For churches and other public venues, the practical lesson is not to profile unfamiliar visitors. It is to maintain clear emergency procedures, know how to report observable behavior and let trained responders assess weapons or claimed authority.

Bottom line

Police confirmed an armed arrest, an extensive inventory and three criminal charges. They did not confirm a planned church attack or release a motive. Until court proceedings or investigators supply more evidence, the responsible account is serious but precise: a potentially dangerous situation was interrupted, and the unanswered questions remain part of the story.

Sources

• High Point Police Department: Officers Arrest Armed Man in Church Parking Lot
• North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 14-288.8
• WRAL/WXII: arrest, court appearance and recovered items

Correction note: The earlier version used speculative language about the man’s intentions. This revision distinguishes confirmed police information, allegations and unknowns.