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Missouri firearms store owner charged in connection to Capitol riot

Loganbill Capitol Riot.jpg
Posted at 7:32 PM, Mar 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-29 20:32:34-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 55-year-old Missouri man who owns a firearms store near the Lake of the Ozarks has been charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Matthew Eugene Loganbill, of Versailles, faces charges of obstructing a congressional proceeding, unlawful entry and violent or disorderly conduct.

Two confidential witnesses told FBI agents that they saw social media posts from the events in Washington, D.C., that included Loganbill, who operates Tooth and Nail Armory in Gravois Mills, according to court documents.

The documents also state that the FBI has identified Loganbill “based on numerous pieces of information.”

RELATED: Historian shares local, personal connection to US Capitol riot

One witness reported that Loganbill was making “concerning online statements” and described him as “‘hot head’ who had grown bitter over the last year because of the negative financial impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” court documents state. The witness also said Loganbill “was extremely immersed in the paramilitary lifestyle, viewed himself as a patriot and likely felt his actions… were justified.”

A second witness provided photos from Loganbill’s Facebook account that appeared to show him attending the Stop the Steal rally in D.C., and on which he commented that he “crawled under the scaffolding, up those stairs and into the Capitol.”

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Court documents also state that when speaking with FBI agents in Versailles, Loganbill said he was not aware of plans to storm the Capitol, but saw other protesters breach the police line.

“Loganbill indicated that the police then fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, but that the protesters continued to surge toward the police apparently undeterred by the gas and the obvious efforts by law enforcement to hold the crowd back,” the documents state. “Loganbill stated that he then ducked behind a storage container and donned a gas mask and helmet that he had brought with him. He claimed he had brought these items to the protest because he was fearful that Antifa would infiltrate the rally/protest.”

RELATED: Federal grand jury in DC indicts 4 local men in Capitol Riot case

He also told the agents that he followed other protesters into the Capitol and was not directed to leave the premises. But officer body camera footage showed Loganbill and others “being directed to leave the U.S. Capitol area,” according to the documents.

“In one instance depicted on the video, law enforcement officers are moving inside the U.S. Capitol Building, in the Rotunda area, and are actively directing rioters to leave the area,” court documents state. “During that effort, one uniformed law enforcement officer personally directed Loganbill, ‘You gotta go.’”

Several other Missourians, including three Kansas City-area residents, have been charged in connection to the January riots.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the 41 Action News Mug Shot Policy.