Vandal breaks into WA Capitol, attacks historical artifacts with hammer before setting fire
The Washington state Capitol Legislative Building has been vandalized and several facilities damaged, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday. "Last night, an intruder broke into the Legislative Building and damaged several facilities and historical artifacts," Ferguson said in an X post. The governor said there was "significant damage" to the State Reception Room, and much of the damage is still being assessed. According to a Washington State Patrol (WSP) spokesperson, the suspect parked a car on flower beds in the flag circle in front of the Legislative Building at 10:15 p.m. Sunday and allegedly broke into the building through a ground-floor office window. The suspect was allegedly armed with two hammers and proceeded to cause major damage inside the building, including breaking card readers, hand sanitizers, etc., as he went through the building; vandalized flags and statues on the 3rd floor as he progressed; then later started a fire in the State Reception Room, according to WSP officials. The WSP had troopers on scene within 30 seconds after the suspect arrived at the Capitol. In total, three troopers ended up on the scene looking for the suspect. The troopers found the suspect as he was exiting the building and took him into custody. The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes, but the suspect was allegedly able to cause significant damage in that time, WSP officials said. The suspect, who was identified in court documents Monday as Gunnar McLean Schubert, was experiencing a mental health crisis, and the attack was not politically motivated, WSP officials said. Schubert was booked into the Thurston County Jail on charges of burglary, arson, and malicious mischief. Schubert appeared in court Monday afternoon, where a judge allowed him to be released on his own recognizance and ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation. KOMO News' Jeremy Harris reported on this incident. -------------------------------------------------- For more on the story: https://komonews.com/news/local/washi... _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: KOMO News on Facebook: / komonews KOMO News on Twitter: / komonews KOMO News on Instagram: / komo4 KOMO News on TikTok: / komo4seattle Subscribe to KOMO on YouTube: / @komonews Watch more top local news stories: • Video For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit http://www.komonews.com/ Watch our live newscasts and other live video at https://komonews.com/watch Download our iOS App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/komo-... Download our Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 206.404.4000 KOMO News (ABC 4) provides the latest breaking news, sports, weather, traffic, and local event coverage in the Seattle and Western Washington/Puget Sound area, including Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Kent, Tacoma, Bellingham, Yakima, and surrounding communities. Tune into ARC Seattle Monday-Friday 7-10 a.m. and 10-11 p.m. on KUNS, The CW Network. #komo #komonews #komo4 #komo4news #seattle #seattlenews #washingtonnews This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information, contact us at [email protected]
