Arraignment delayed for man accused of breaking into Washington Capitol

The arraignment of the man accused of breaking into the Washington State Capitol and damaging several state artifacts has been delayed until at least Nov. 4 as the suspect undergoes a 14-day “involuntary treatment/detention” in Grays Harbor County, an attorney representing him said during a brief court appearance Friday.

Gunnar Schubert, a former Gonzaga University baseball player, is accused of breaking into the state Capitol building on Sunday, Oct. 5, and causing “significant damage” to several facilities, including the State Reception Room. Schubert was not present during the hearing in Thurston County Superior Court.

Among the damaged items is a grand piano built in 1893 that was transported by musicologist Hans Moldenhauer from Germany in 1938 and arrived in Spokane the following year when he opened the Spokane Conservatory.

Schubert is accused of breaking a window on the north side of the building at approximately 10:15 p.m. and entering with two hammers. According to the Washington State Patrol, he broke small office equipment, including card readers and hand sanitizer dispensers, before going up to the building’s large rotunda and “escalating damage.”

He was taken into custody as he left the building.

Schubert was released without bail after the initial hearing but cannot enter the Capitol campus without an escort. He was also ordered by a Thurston County judge to undergo a mental health evaluation.