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Ted Nugent testifying in Lansing
On June 25, rocker Ted Nugent brought a gun into the Capitol and had it with him while testifying before a committee, during which he criticized the regulation and enforcement methods of the Department of Natural Resources. At the time, it was reported that he passed through a weapons detection system staffed by a Michigan State Police trooper, who failed to catch the breach.
Now, The Detroit News reports that a police report found Nugent also passed through a second detection system on the ground floor, monitored by House sergeants, before entering the committee hearing with the gun. The state Capitol has had a ban on both open carry and concealed weapons since 2023.
The report states that the detector monitored by the State Police was functioning correctly and that the trooper simply missed the alert.
Gideon D'Assandro, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker Matt Hall—who oversees the House sergeants—told The News that it's not unusual for sergeants to waive someone through if they have already passed through the primary checkpoint at the north annex entrance.
The report also notes that individuals in the committee room notified authorities that Nugent had a gun, but security did not confront him until after his testimony.
"At the conclusion of the hearing, Mr. Nugent was contacted and was completely cooperative in surrendering his firearm while within the Capitol," the report said, according to The News.
