Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer was among those photographed during the Capitol Building riot on January 6 and his bandmates have already issued statements about their involvement, expressing that they do not tolerate disturbances or acts of violence.
Luke Appleton and Stu Block posted a statement from the group on their Instagram accounts (see below) that says the following:
We want to thank all those who sent words of support in the past few days. Some of you are concerned about our silence, which we understand. We need some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we make a statement.
We absolutely DO NOT condone or support riots or acts of violence in which the protesters were involved on January 6 in the United States Capitol building. We hope that everyone involved on that day will be brought to justice for investigation and accountability for their actions.
With a broken heart, we are sending our love and compassion to everyone who has felt the pain of the events of January 6. We are deeply sad and our best wishes to the families of the lives lost that day. In fact, there are no suitable words to console. Just know that we are with you in your state of shock, sadness and pain. Much love to you all.
Stu, Luke, Jake, Brent
Earlier this week, Block was pressured to comment on Schaffer’s involvement and initially offered: “I live in Canada and I don’t get involved in political affairs or share my beliefs [sic]. I chose to spread the love and not comment or allow any hate on my [social media]. I hope that you [sic] understand, “he added.
In addition, Blind Guardian, a band that has Hansi Kürsch among its ranks, also made a statement. Kürsch is a Schaffer bandmate in the band Demons & Wizards. Posted on the Blind Guardian website, the statement says:
We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the deceased’s relatives. We expressly distance ourselves from any type of violence, regardless of whether it is applied against institutions or people. The incidents will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be brought to justice. We ask for your understanding that, in view of the hourly news situation, we will no longer comment at this time.
Not long after Schaffer’s photo appeared among images of the riot in the Capitol building, it was revealed that the musician was a “person interested in riots-related crimes” in a photo shared by the MPDC (Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia).
A day later, Schaffer’s name appeared on the “Most Wanted” section of the FBI website. Schaffer’s image is in the subcategory ‘Seeking information’, not to be confused with the FBI’s famous list of the 10 most wanted.