Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer was among those photographed during the Capitol Building riot on January 6, and his colleagues issued statements regarding his involvement, saying he did not accept riots or acts of violence.
Both Luke Appleton and Stu Block posted a group statement on their Instagram accounts (seen below) with the following:
We want to thank those of you who have sent words of support in recent days. Some of you have been concerned about our silence, which we understand. I needed some time to process the information correctly and to find out a few facts before making a statement.
We do not absolutely accept or support the riots or acts of violence in which the rioters were involved on January 6 in the US Chapter building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and held accountable for their actions.
With broken hearts, we send our love and compassion to all those who felt the pain of the events of January 6. We are deeply saddened and our hearts turn to the families of the lives lost that day. There are no really appropriate words of consolation. All you know is that we are with you in your shock, pain and sorrow. Lots of love to you all.
Stu, Luke, Jake, Brent
Earlier this week, Block was pressured for a comment on Schaffer’s involvement and initially offered: “I live in Canada and I don’t really get involved in politics and I don’t share my beliefs. [sic]. I chose to spread love and not comment or allow hatred on myself [social media]. I hope so [sic] understand, “he added.
In addition, Blind Guardian, a band that counts Hansi Kürsch among its ranks, also gave a statement. Kürsch is a bandmate of Schaffer’s in the band Demons & Wizards. Posted on the Blind Guardian website, the statement says:
We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased. We expressly depart from any form of violence, whether against institutions or individuals. Incidents will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be brought to justice. Please understand that, given the news schedule, we will not comment further at this time.
Shortly after Schaffer’s photo appeared among images of the riot in the Capitol building, it was revealed that the musician was a “person interested in unrest related crimes” in a photo shared by the MPDC (Columbia District Metropolitan Police Department). ).
A day later, Schaffer’s name appeared in the “Most Wanted” section of the FBI website. Schaffer’s image is in the “Information Search” subcategory, not to be confused with the famous FBI Top 10 Most Wanted List.