Man Arrested for Being Inside Minnesota Senate Chamber After Hours, Investigation Underway

Unusual Incident at Minnesota Senate Chamber Raises Security Concerns

A man was found inside the Minnesota Senate chamber late Friday night, despite the building being closed to the public. This incident occurred after the individual had previously entered the Capitol complex on two other occasions. The Minnesota State Patrol confirmed the details of the event on Saturday.

Around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Capitol security received an alert from the alarm system indicating that a man was inside the Capitol after hours. Upon locating the individual, it was discovered that he was naked and nonviolent. It was quickly determined that he required a mental health evaluation, according to Colonel Christina Bogojevic, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol.

The man was taken to Regions Hospital for assessment and was later released. Around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, he was seen again on the Capitol grounds but not inside the building itself. He was arrested later that day after appearing at the Capitol complex for a third time and is currently held in Ramsey County jail. WCCO News typically does not name suspects until they are formally charged.

“There are no indications at this time that the man broke into the Capitol. We are in the process of reviewing any video to determine his exact whereabouts while he was inside the building,” Bogojevic said.

This incident comes just a month after a tragic attack in which Rep. Melissa Hortman, the House DFL leader, and her husband Mark were shot and killed in an attack at their homes. Authorities believe the attack was a political assassination carried out by a masked gunman impersonating a police officer. DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were also shot and wounded, and investigators have revealed that the accused assassin had a hitlist with names of other Democratic officials.

It remains unclear how the man gained access to the Capitol building and the Senate chamber after hours. The sergeant at arms in the Minnesota Senate notified senators and staff about the incident on Saturday morning, according to an email obtained by WCCO News. The individual made statements indicating he was the governor, among other remarks, according to Sven Lindquist, chief sergeant at arms for the chamber.

The Minnesota State Patrol stated that the man is being held in jail awaiting extradition in connection with an arrest warrant from Wisconsin. “We are examining all aspects of the incident to address any security concerns,” Lindquist said in the email to senators and chamber staff. He emphasized that the safety and security of all individuals within the Capitol remain the top priority.

The June 14 attacks on lawmakers have drawn attention to concerns about safety for elected officials and security at the Capitol. Unlike many other government buildings, the Capitol has no metal detectors or other screening measures before the public can enter. The building closes at night.

Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson expressed disappointment in the security breach. “We are living in a heightened threat environment. I expect the State Patrol and Capitol Security teams will thoroughly review what happened and give Capitol officials and staff, and the public, their assurances that this will not happen again,” Johnson said.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth criticized the fact that it took three encounters with the suspect before he was taken into custody. “While I'm grateful the offender is in custody, it should not take three incidents in 24 hours to finally be booked. In this environment of heightened security, we need to be even more vigilant, not less,” Demuth said.

DFL leaders have not yet commented on the incident. Former GOP majority leader Paul Gazelka called for security checkpoints at the Capitol. “Virtually every courthouse has that, so that would be, to me, the number one thing that you should do,” Gazelka said.

He noted that the number of attacks, mostly verbal, against lawmakers in Minnesota and nationwide has risen dramatically over the past ten years. In 2024, U.S. Capitol Police reported 9,474 concerning statements or direct threats against Members of Congress, more than double the number from the previous seven years.

Gazelka emphasized the need to balance securing the Capitol with maintaining its accessibility for the public to exercise their First Amendment rights. “We want people there, but at the same time, we have to make sure that we are protecting the people that are working there,” he said.

In response to the recent attacks, the Minnesota House and Senate will now pay for home security upgrades for their members using state funds through their existing budgets. Previously, lawmakers could only use campaign funds or their own money for such measures.

Earlier this month, the top law enforcement official in Ramsey County urged lawmakers to consider additional security measures at the state capitol. Sheriff Bob Fletcher wrote a letter to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, stating that “recent heartbreaking events highlight the urgent need to reexamine security measures within the Capitol Complex.”