A man arrested during a large protest in Nashville has drawn attention due to his long history of extremist views. Elijah Millar, 19, was taken into custody on Saturday during the “No Kings” protest after he showed a handgun while confronting peaceful demonstrators in downtown Nashville.
Millar, who is from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was charged after pulling out the gun during a heated moment, though he did not aim it at anyone. Police confirmed that he was spitting at protesters and yelling insults before brandishing the weapon. Witnesses said the situation grew tense when he shouted offensive slogans and argued with protesters face-to-face.
Video from the event shows Millar dressed in all black with his face covered. He carried a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag and wore a handgun in a holster. He also livestreamed his movements, posting online that he was there to “counter-protest” what he called “commies.”
At one point, a woman asked him to take off his mask and called him a coward. He responded by giving a Nazi-style salute and shouting hateful words. The situation quickly caught the attention of nearby demonstrators and law enforcement.
This was not Millar’s first encounter with law enforcement. In 2023, he was reported missing by his family and was described as autistic but highly functioning. He was previously arrested in Ohio for carrying a weapon while under disability. Despite this, he was seen carrying a semi-automatic handgun during the protest in Nashville.
Millar’s clothing and symbols also raised alarm. His cap had a patch showing support for the “Dark Enlightenment,” a theory that opposes democracy and supports authoritarian rule. Police noted these symbols as potential signs of extremist beliefs.
Social media posts linked to Millar reveal even more disturbing details. He praised well-known mass murderers, including the man who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011 and the shooter responsible for a 2022 attack in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 African Americans. Millar called the victims “race traitors” and admired the attackers.
In another post, he responded to a joke about the Buffalo shooter helping with food access in Black communities by calling the shooter a “hero.” He added an image of an anime figure in front of the store with a gun, saying “Indeed.”
Millar also posted about the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 51 Muslims were killed. He appeared to copy the killer’s style by marking a Mossberg shotgun with hateful messages. One message said, “This machine kills commies,” written in white letters similar to those on the attacker’s weapons.
Other posts show he was planning more livestreams and wanted to buy a helmet and GoPro camera to record future events. In July, he posted a cryptic message saying, “No more running for me, reapers calling my name.”
Millar was released on bond shortly after his arrest. The FBI had already been aware of his online activity, though it remains unclear whether further charges will follow.
His actions at the protest and his past online statements have raised concern about how someone with such views was able to attend a large public gathering while carrying a weapon.
