Along with Ariel Pink and John Maus, Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer was spotted storming the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. Of the three musicians, Schaffer was the only one to be photographed inside the building, landing himself a spot among the FBI's Most Wanted.
After local authorities deemed Schaffer a person of interest yesterday (January 7), the FBI has included a photograph of Schaffer on one of four flyers seeking information about those wanted for "unlawful entry into the United States Capitol Building."
Schaffer is seen in photograph 25 on the flyer seen below, wearing an Oath Keepers hat while pointing and yelling at someone out of frame.
This week, German daily newspaper Die Welt shared a video interview with Schaffer recorded at a pro-Trump event in November 2020. Asked about the possibility of political violence, the guitarist answered, "If somebody wants to bring violence, I think there's a lot of us here that are ready for it. We don't want that, but if they bring it, we're gonna respond to that — trust me."
Metalsucks points out that Iced Earth's Canadian frontman Stu Block responded to the situation involving his bandmate on Instagram. On January 6, Block posted a photo of a heart with the caption, "Nuff said #love," and wrote to concerned fans before disabling comments entirely.
One fan reportedly wrote to Block, "I unfortunately can no longer support the band you are in. Much love and respect for you as a person and a great singer but Jon no longer gets a dime from me. I will follow and support you in all future endeavors. I hope Jon realizes that being self centered and ideological does not just affect him but his extended family. God Bless you and your family."
Block responded, "t[h]is is your decision and how you feel and I must absolutely respect that."
Another wrote, "Stu, first off, love you dude. But, gotta know where you stand with Jon being there. From one cat dad to another."
The frontman responded, "Thank you and I totally understand you want to know. I would too if I were you. I live in Canada and do not really engage in political stuff or share my beliefs. I have chosen to spread love and not comment or allow any hate on my [social media]. I hope you understand."
After local authorities deemed Schaffer a person of interest yesterday (January 7), the FBI has included a photograph of Schaffer on one of four flyers seeking information about those wanted for "unlawful entry into the United States Capitol Building."
Schaffer is seen in photograph 25 on the flyer seen below, wearing an Oath Keepers hat while pointing and yelling at someone out of frame.
This week, German daily newspaper Die Welt shared a video interview with Schaffer recorded at a pro-Trump event in November 2020. Asked about the possibility of political violence, the guitarist answered, "If somebody wants to bring violence, I think there's a lot of us here that are ready for it. We don't want that, but if they bring it, we're gonna respond to that — trust me."
Metalsucks points out that Iced Earth's Canadian frontman Stu Block responded to the situation involving his bandmate on Instagram. On January 6, Block posted a photo of a heart with the caption, "Nuff said #love," and wrote to concerned fans before disabling comments entirely.
One fan reportedly wrote to Block, "I unfortunately can no longer support the band you are in. Much love and respect for you as a person and a great singer but Jon no longer gets a dime from me. I will follow and support you in all future endeavors. I hope Jon realizes that being self centered and ideological does not just affect him but his extended family. God Bless you and your family."
Block responded, "t[h]is is your decision and how you feel and I must absolutely respect that."
Another wrote, "Stu, first off, love you dude. But, gotta know where you stand with Jon being there. From one cat dad to another."
The frontman responded, "Thank you and I totally understand you want to know. I would too if I were you. I live in Canada and do not really engage in political stuff or share my beliefs. I have chosen to spread love and not comment or allow any hate on my [social media]. I hope you understand."
#FBIWFO is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those who made unlawful entry into U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. If you witnessed unlawful violent actions contact the #FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos/videos at https://t.co/NNj84wkNJP. https://t.co/KSUpFHyZZG pic.twitter.com/qS6cW0DX32
— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) January 8, 2021
