A man tried this week to attack Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers twice in one day, first with a handgun and then again with an assault rifle after posting bail, a state spokesperson said Thursday.
The man, who has not been identified, entered the state Capitol on Wednesday at 2:00 pm with a holstered handgun. He did not have a concealed carry permit, spokesperson Tatyana Warrick told the AP.
The man demanded to see Evers, who was not in the building at the time. The man was then arrested for openly carrying a firearm in the Capitol without a permit. He was booked into prison but later posted bail.
Then, at 9:00 pm, the man returned to the Capitol with an assault-style rifle, again demanding to see the governor. The building had closed to the public three hours earlier. The man was then arrested again. Madison police said Thursday that the man had been hospitalized, as well.
This is the second time in as many years that Evers has been targeted by a gunman. In 2022, Evers was on the hit list of a gunman who is accused of fatally shooting a retired Wisconsin county judge. The list also included Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Mitch McConnell.
The attempted attack on Evers Wednesday perfectly sums up two rapidly growing issues in the United States. It’s terrifying that someone was able to procure multiple guns and carry them around without a permit.
There are also increasing attacks on political officials. Many of these attacks can be linked directly back to violent rhetoric from Donald Trump and his allies. Whitmer, who was also the target of a kidnapping plot, and Evers are both Democrats who have championed more progressive causes.
Evers used a partial veto of the state budget in July to guarantee funding increases for public schools for the next four centuries. And Whitmer has successfully increased protections for abortion access and labor unions.