”Hunger Games” Actor Arrested For Firing at a Truck With a 14-Year-Old Inside
Ethan Jamieson wanted to be a normal person. He said so himself back in 2012, right after The Hunger Games came out and turned him into a recognizable face overnight. He hadn't expected the movie to blow up the way it did. He stepped away from acting. He went quiet.
He's not quiet anymore.
Jamieson, 27, was arrested on April 8 in Raleigh, North Carolina and charged with three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Police say he rode up on an e-bike, fired a 9mm handgun at a truck with three people inside, and took off. One of those people was a 14-year-old kid.
What Actually Happened
Elijah Fernandez was driving home from a fishing trip with friends when a man on an e-bike came at his truck. Fernandez honked. The guy turned around and started following them. Then the man threw the bike into the road.
"So I'm like, 'Oh, so he's trying to block the road off,'" Fernandez told WRAL. "That's when I see him lifting his arms a little bit. I'm like, 'Oh, no. He's about to shoot.' So, we all get down."
Everyone ducked. Fernandez kept driving blind with the windows down. One shot fired at the vehicle. A 14-year-old in the backseat.
No motive has been established. No prior connection between Jamieson and the people in that truck has been reported. Just a man on an e-bike who apparently decided to shoot at strangers driving home from fishing.
Fernandez said he went back and rewatched the Hunger Games movies after he found out who had been arrested.
The Timeline That Makes This Worse
March 21, 2025 — Jamieson was arrested in Raleigh for resisting a public officer. Details around that incident were never made public.
March 26, 2026 — he was sentenced for that offense.
March 29, 2026 — three days later, police say he fired a gun at three people from an e-bike.
He was sentenced on one charge and allegedly committed the next one before the week was out. Whatever the justice system tried to communicate to him between those two dates, it didn't land.
He was denied bail after his April 8 arrest and is sitting in custody waiting for his April 30 hearing. Three felony counts. Potentially 14 years in prison if convicted on all of them.
Who He Was
Jamieson played the District 4 male tribute in the original 2012 Hunger Games film — the one killed in the Cornucopia bloodbath on the first day of the games. Not a huge role but a visible one to anyone who's seen the movie. He appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. He also had small parts in One Tree Hill and Justified before stepping away entirely. His last credit was 2013.
He was a kid when he did all of it. He said at the time that he wanted a normal life more than a Hollywood one. By all accounts he got it — just not the version anyone would have chosen for him.
His representative has not responded to requests for comment.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.