Man arrested for bringing gun to see Wisconsin governor returns to Capitol with assault rifle

A man who illegally brought a loaded handgun into the Wisconsin Capitol seeking out Gov. Tony Evers, returned at night with an assault rifle after posting bail, a spokesperson for the state said Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The shirtless man first approached the first-floor governor’s office, which a police officer guards from a desk outside the suite of rooms in which it resides, around 2 p.m. Wednesday and demanded to see the governor, who was not in the building at the time, state Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said.

He was then taken into police custody for violating the law — which allows people with valid permits to bring concealed weapons into the Capitol — by openly carrying a firearm in the building, Warrick added, noting that the arrested man did not have a concealed carry permit. After the man was booked at the Dane County Jail and, later, posted bail, he came back shortly before 9 p.m. to the Capitol, which closes to the public at 6 p.m., with a loaded assault-style rifle. Outside the building, he again sought out the governor and was then taken into protective custody. 

Madison police said Thursday that the man, who remains unnamed, was taken to the hospital. “Capitol Police took control of the situation and so it’s over,” Evers told reporters Thursday, before declining to discuss what security changes may take place for him or the building. “I never, ever talk about what my security detail does or what they’re planning on doing,” Evers said. “But anytime something like this happens, obviously they reevaluate.” A spokesperson for the police department did not respond to the AP’s email seeking additional details.