OLYMPIA—A suspect has been arrested by the Washington State Patrol after breaking into the State Capitol Building Sunday night, setting fire to flags and rooms, and damaging several facilities and historic artifacts throughout his 10-minute vandalistic rampage.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the suspect parked his vehicle on the flower bed in flag circle (in front of the Legislative Building) around 10:15 p.m. Sunday, October 5, before breaking a window on the ground floor of the building using a hammer and illegally entering.
Surveillance camera footage shows he then proceeded upstairs, damaging small equipment (i.e. card readers, hand sanitizers, etc.) eventually making his way to the Rotunda, then the third floor, damaging statues and flags along the way.
According to Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, the suspect tipped over both iconic busts on the third floor and toppled over all the flags by the fire pots on the east side of the building, burning one. In the State Reception Room, where he broke another window to enter, the suspect also burned an original rug which Heck called a “priceless treasure.”
The fire in the state reception room was promptly extinguished by local fire fighters.
At this point it had only been 10 minutes since the break in, but three Washington State Patrol Officers had already responded, Chris Loftis with the WSP told the Lynnwood Times, originally finding the suspect’s vehicle a cause for suspicion given the Capitol Building was closed.
The First WSP Officer responded just 30 seconds after the suspect parked his vehicle, who immediately began to locate its owner. Shortly after, a second WSP Officer responded just about the time the alarm sounded in the leg building.
The third WSP Officer quickly responded following the alarm. Around this time the officers heard shattering glass and were able to locate the suspect as he was exiting the building. He was taken into custody without incident, the WSP said.
The suspect was booked into Thurston County Jail under charges of Burglary in the second degree, Arson in the second degree, and Malicious Mischief in the first degree.
Loftis told the Lynnwood Times there is no reason to believe the crimes were politically motivated. It seems more likely it was an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.
“I appreciate the rapid response from DES staff and collaboration with our emergency response partners,” said DES Director Matt Jones. “We are reviewing security at the State Capitol Campus to ensure the safety of all who work and visit the campus.”
The Department of Enterprise Services (DES), the agency that oversees all state buildings and properties, has not yet calculated the total costs of damages, or announced a schedule of repair.
“Unfortunately, this is a very large space, and the suspect was able to do significant damage before capture,” said WSP Trooper Loftis. “A sad story on all counts – troubled individual does damage to historic building and artifacts – but fortunately, no law enforcement, building users, or the suspect himself injured.”
Despite the WSP stating the crime was likely not politically motivated, Washington State Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck issued the following statement on Monday, October 6, condemning political violence:
“Over the last several years, there has been a significant escalation in both violence-tinged political rhetoric and actual violence. We can continue to adapt security measures, and we will, designed to prevent and deter such incidents. The fact remains, however, that we must all do our part in turning down the temperature. Violent rhetoric, property destruction, and violence against individuals are a cancer on our democratic society,” wrote Heck. “The state capitol is our permanent symbol of democracy and our belief in self-rule. We will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2028. Thanks to the work of the public servants at the State Department of Enterprise Services, I expect it to be fully restored by the end of the week.”
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson also took to X (formerly Twitter) Monday to say:
“We have the most beautiful Capitol in the country. I am grateful for the quick work of our Department of Enterprise Services and the Washington State Patrol to bring this individual safely into custody.”
The Legislative Building has reopened to the public as of Monday, October 6, however parts of the building are still off-limits as repair efforts begin.
According to the Washington Standard, Washington State’s budget cuts have impacted capitol campus security as of late, essentially eliminating its preexisting Security Operations Center – who worked around the clock to monitor more than 800 security cameras and 1,000 access control points.
Prior to these cuts, the WSP often worked in tandem with the Capitol Security Operations Center to prevent crimes from happening.
Homeless encampments have also been an ongoing issue near the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, particularly in the areas of Deschutes Parkway and surrounding grounds, with city and state officials taking action to clear them due to concerns for public safety and the living conditions within the encampments. However, the WSP has not released whether the suspect was believed to be living in these nearby encampments or not. The investigation is still undergoing.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
