SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – October 16, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – The Utah Highway Patrol said the man who left a semi-automatic weapon inside the State Capitol on Thursday told them he was protesting gun violence. Discovery of the gun prompted the evacuation of the building, including Governor Gary Herbert’s office.

According to UHP Sgt. Todd Royce, Cache County resident Cameron Crimefighter – his legal name – contacted authorities on Thursday night and was interviewed extensively by state investigators.

Authorities say Mr. Crimefighter never meant to commit a crime but simply spark a discussion about gun violence in the United States.

That political statement led to a flurry of police activity on Utah’s Capitol Hill Thursday, when Mr. Crimefighter was captured by surveillance cameras as he walked into the rotunda’s south entrance around 4 p.m. carrying a long box with a wreath attached to it.

The surveillance video then shows Crimefighter placing the box on the rotunda floor where he kneels and appears to offer a short prayer.

Crimefighter turned and walked away, driving off in a white passenger vehicle before security personnel were able to reach him.

The UHP is in charge of state house security.

The incident triggered an evacuation of the the entire building until bomb technicians could determine what was inside the box.

The UHP’s investigation is continuing.

We’ll have more on the story as information becomes available.