Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer Arrested For Role In Capitol Riot

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer Arrested For Role In Capitol Riot

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

Earlier this month, Jon Schaffer, guitarist and principal songwriter for the long-running Florida metal band Iced Earth, was one of the rioters who stormed the US Capitol in the wake of Donald Trump’s speech. Shortly after the riot, the FBI began looking for Schaffer, and his photo appeared in the most-wanted section of the FBI’s website. And now Schaffer is in custody after turning himself into the FBI.

As the Indianapolis Star reports, FBI spokesman Chris Bavender says that the 52-year-old Schaffer turned himself in to authorities on Sunday afternoon, 11 days after the riot. Schaffer, who was allegedly one of the rioters who used bear spray against Capitol police, is facing six charges, including engaging in an act of physical violence in a Capitol building.

Schaffer founded the power metal band Iced Earth in 1985. The band has released 12 albums; their most recent, 2017’s Incorruptible, debuted at #42 on the Billboard album charts. Schaffer also plays in several side projects, including the right-leaning political band Sons Of Liberty. Schaffer is a well-known Trump supporter who has appeared on InfoWars with Alex Jones. Since the Capitol insurrection, Schaffer’s bandmates in Iced Earth have put out a statement denouncing the riot, and so has Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kürsch, a Schaffer bandmate in the side project Demons & Wizards.

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