A man demanding to see Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) was arrested for bringing a gun to the state Capitol on Wednesday and returned later that night with an assault rifle, the Associated Press reported.
This image taken with a drone shows the Wisconsin State Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in ... [+]
A shirtless man was seen approaching the governor’s office at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon, a state department of administration spokesperson told the AP, and was demanding to see the governor; Evers was not at the Capitol.
The man was arrested and taken into custody, but posted bail and returned to the Capitol—again demanding to see Evers—around 9 p.m. with an assault rifle, the AP reported.
Open carry is not allowed in the Capitol, though all three branches of state government have their own rules around concealed carry, ranging from prohibiting it to allowing it in certain quarters with the correct permits, according to the Capitol’s firearm and weapon policy.
The AP reported the man did not have a permit and was openly carrying the firearm.
Forbes has reached out to the Governor’s Office and the department of administration for comment.
Evers has been the target of violence before. Last summer, he was named on the hit list—alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellf—of a gunman accused of killing a Wisconsin judge. Evers served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction for 10 years before becoming governor in 2018 and winning reelection in 2022. He ran on the campaign issues of improving the public school system, improving affordable health care and addressing infrastructure issues in the state.