The lead guitarist and founder of American heavy metal band Iced Earth has been pictured among the Donald Trump supporters who violently stormed the US Capitol yesterday (January 6) in Washington D.C..

Jon Schaffer was captured with a group of protesters who stormed the building as Congress prepared to begin the process of certifying Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 US presidential election.

After breaching security, protesters were seen making their way into Congress’ central chamber – while one even tore down a wooden plaque above the entrance to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.

In a striking image captured by AFP’s Roberto Schmidt, Schaffer is pictured among the throng of supporters who breached the building and appears to be wildly gesticulating in the middle of the chaotic scenes.

@MetalHammer It's our boy, Jon Schaffer from Iced Earth on a holiday to DC. pic.twitter.com/fJpgKmNrNq

— Alex (@RPG_Al3x) January 6, 2021

Schaffer’s involvement in the demonstration comes shortly after he attended a D.C. Trump rally in November to protest against the election results.

“They will go down. They’re messing with the wrong people, believe me,” he told German daily newspaper Die Welt.

Schaffer previously attracted controversy in July when he claimed that Covid-19 is “a psychological warfare campaign on the people more than it is a serious pandemic”.

He told MetalSucks: “I think there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye here — in fact, I know there is. Legitimate doctors and scientists are being censored and banned on YouTube constantly. It’s unbelievable levels of fraud.”