A man broke into the Washington State Capitol's Legislative Building on Sunday night, knocked over the giant bronze bust of George Washington, and burned state and county flags.
State troopers arrested and booked Gunnar Schubert into Thurston County Jail for arson, burglary, and malicious mischief, jail records show.
The crime was not politically motivated, a spokesperson for the state patrol said, and Schubert was in the middle of a mental health crisis.
"A sad story on all counts — troubled individual does damage to historic building and artifacts," Chris Loftis, director of public affairs for the Washington State Patrol, wrote in an email. "But fortunately, no law enforcement, building users, or the suspect himself were injured."
Schubert parked a car on a flower bed in the flag circle in front of the historic Legislative Building, where the state Senate and House meet during session, on Sunday night at 10:15 p.m., Loftis wrote. Thirty seconds later, troopers began to arrive and were looking for the driver of the vehicle when alarms went off inside the Legislative Building.
Schubert, who Loftis said had two hammers, broke in through the ground floor office window and went upstairs, smashing card readers and hand sanitizers on the wall. The Department of Enterprise Services shared photos of burned and knocked-down state and county flags.
When he got to the Rotunda on the main floor, he knocked over a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. and toppled a giant bronze bust of George Washington. There were cracks on the marble floor on Monday, a spokesperson for Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck told partner station KUOW.
Schubert then lit a fire in the State Reception Room, a "particularly important space," Washington Governor Bob Ferguson wrote on X.
"We are still assessing the damage," Ferguson wrote. "We have the most beautiful Capitol in the country. I am grateful for the quick work of our Department of Enterprise Services and the Washington State Patrol to bring this individual safely into custody."
Three troopers were on scene looking for the suspect when they heard breaking glass and saw Schubert leaving the building, Loftis said. They took him into custody without incident.
"The entire incident lasted approximately 10 minutes from first call to capture," Loftis wrote. "Unfortunately, this is a very large space, and the suspect was able to do significant damage before capture."
The damage hasn't yet been totaled, and the investigation is ongoing.
The State Reception Room is a formal space where governors often sign bills and receive foreign dignitaries and heads of state. It's also where lawmakers address student groups and the state’s electors meet to cast Washington’s electoral college votes for president and vice president. It has Tiffany glass-bead chandeliers and walls of marble from Genoa, Italy.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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