INDIANAPOLIS – A heavy metal guitarist who was photographed inside the United States Capitol during the January 6 uprising surrendered to the FBI on Sunday afternoon, according to Indianapolis FBI spokesman Chris Bavender.
Jon Ryan Schaffer, an Indiana native and founder of the band Iced Earth, is accused of using “bear spray”, a pepper-based irritant sold by many street retailers, on police officers as protesters stormed the Capitol building. A federal statement of the facts in his case says that Schaffer was seen in photos and video “involved in verbal strife with Capitol Police insider” and holding a container with bear spray.
He had appeared on an FBI poster seeking public help in identifying protesters. Several people contacted by IndyStar identified Schaffer as the man seen in a photograph on Capitol Hill.
‘A terribly sad day for America’: Tim McGraw, Cardi B and Jimmy Fallon react to Capitol rebellion
Bavender said Schaffer faces six charges, including involvement in an act of physical violence in a Capitol building, Bavender told IndyStar. He also faces charges of intentionally entering or staying in any restricted building or land without legal authority, interrupting orderly conduct in government business, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, involvement in an act of physical violence in a building in the Capitol, and demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building
The United States Department of Justice published charges against dozens of people for crimes committed at the United States Capitol on January 6 on its website.
Five people died on January 6, when a crowd, fueled by President Donald Trump’s false claims of a “stolen” election, invaded the Capitol in an effort to prevent lawmakers from confirming President-elect Joseph Biden’s victory. A policeman was among the dead.
On the FBI poster, Schaffer’s image is identified as Photograph # 25. Schaffer is wearing an Oath Keepers cap in the photograph. The group is characterized as a militia of ex-police and military, but is called an anti-government extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Schaffer has attended Trump rallies and propagated conspiracy theories. He has already been invited on the far-right radio show by Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and told a German news station last November that an obscure criminal enterprise is trying to command a world government under a communist agenda. He and other Americans, he said, were prepared for bloodshed to prevent this.
The statement of fact, filed in federal court by an FBI agent whose name is written on the document, says:
“Schaffer, who is the front man of the heavy metal band ‘Iced Earth”, has long defended extreme right-wing views. During an interview in 2017, Schaffer identified himself as an ‘anarchist’ and referred to the federal government as a ‘criminal company. ‘During the same interview, Schaffer said that the 2016 presidential election was’ rigged’.
“On November 14, 2020, Schaffer participated in the ‘Million MAGA March’ in Washington, DC with other members of Oath Keepers. Schaffer was photographed wearing the same blue hooded sweatshirt and clear plastic sunglasses that he wore on 6 January 2021.
“Schaffer was approached by a member of the press during the month of March (in November) and made several statements indicating his intention to join others in fighting the election results – with violence, if necessary. Specifically, Schaffer stated the following : My name is Jon Schaffer, I’m from Indiana. A group of bandits and criminals kidnapped this country a long time ago. And now they’re making a big move and it won’t happen… People need to wake up and leave the Matrix, because they are falling. They acted, they are messing with the wrong people here, believe me. And we needed it to be opened like this. Open fraud. Open robbery. Because now we see you, and you will fall, mark my words if he expected the protest to involve violence, Schaffer said ‘if anyone wants to bring violence, I think many of us here are ready for that. I don’t want that, but if they do we will respond to that, trust me. im.
“Schaffer continued to say, ‘We are not going to merge into some globalist and communist system, that is not going to happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes to that, believe me. The American people will not go for it (expletive), since they understand what’s really going on. So that’s where we are. Nobody wants this, but they are pushing us to a point where we have no choice. ‘”
Schaffer and his band appeared on the pages of The Indianapolis Star in 2001 after Schaffer’s rise to fame. Schaffer said nothing publicly, but four of his band members from Iced Earth released a statement on Instagram and Facebook opposing the insurrection.
“We absolutely DO NOT tolerate or support riots or acts of violence in which the protesters were involved on January 6 in the United States Capitol building,” they wrote. “We hope that everyone involved that day will be brought to justice to be investigated and accountable for their actions.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer, arrested by the FBI after Capitol riot