Ex-MLB draft pick Gunnar Schubert arrested for breaking into Washington state Capitol and burning USA flag

A former MLB draft pick has been accused of breaking into the Washington state Capitol and damaging some of its most iconic items in a shocking rampage.

Gunnar Schubert, who was drafted in the 28th round of the 2018 draft by the Miami Marlins and played two seasons of minor league baseball before becoming a 'journeyman ironworker', allegedly set fire to several flags - including 'Old Glory' - and knocked over some famous busts during his break-in.

The 29-year-old was reportedly armed with two hammers and suffering a mental health crisis when he smashed his way in through an office window and vandalized the government building in Olympia, according to Fox13.

After driving his car onto a flowerbed outside the Capitol at around 10:15pm Sunday, he made his way to the third floor of the rotunda, knocked down the busts and flags, and then smashed the glass door to the State Reception Room.

Schubert allegedly set fire to numerous objects, including the original carpet in the State Reception Room described as a 'priceless treasure'.

He is suspected of damaging two 'iconic' busts, including a bronze statue of George Washington's head that was knocked to the floor. A bust of Martin Luther King Jr was also scratched.

The ex-baseball hopeful is also accused of burning an American and Washington state flag into the carpet of the reception room, while other items that were damaged include the 1928 chenille rug, the state seal in the rotunda, marble floors, stairs, original mohair drapery, original teak flooring and a piano, according to a report from the Department of Enterprise Services. 

'Last night, an intruder broke into the Legislative Building and damaged several facilities and historical artifacts,' Washington Governor Bob Ferguson wrote on X Monday. 'There was significant damage in our State Reception Room, which is a particularly important space.'

Schubert was booked into Thurston County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary, first-degree arson and first-degree malicious mischief, said Chris Loftis, spokesman for the Washington State Patrol. He has since been released on his own recognizance.

'The suspect's actions were very purposeful at the Capitol but appears to be an individual experiencing a mental health crisis of some sort,' Loftis said. He also claimed that Schubert has a history of mental-health problems.

Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck described the late-night rampage as a political attack, saying: 'Over the last several years, there has been a significant escalation in both violence-tinged political rhetoric and actual violence. We can continue to adapt security measures, and we will, designed to prevent and deter such incidents.

'The fact remains, however, that we must all do our part in turning down the temperature. Violent rhetoric, property destruction, and violence against individuals are a cancer on our democratic society.'

He also added: 'As I have often said, democracy is worth fighting for.'

The New York Post claims Schubert made several political posts on Facebook before the alleged break-in, which referenced Ferguson, US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and more.

One of the posts saw him wearing a Marlins jersey with his name stitched on the back while listening to Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive'.

He played two seasons with the Miami Bulldogs in 2017 and 2018, starting all 110 games at shortstop and averaging .271 with 111 hits, five home runs and an on-base percentage of .356.

Schubert then jumped around the Marlins organization and made it as high as Single-A Jupiter before his release in December 2019.