A California man who allegedly arrived in Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s neighborhood with a plan to assassinate the justice is facing a federal charge of attempted murder against a Supreme Court justice.
A Department of Justice news release identified the suspect as Nicholas John Roske. Previous reports named Kavanaugh as his target.
According to court documents, Roske arrived in a cab outside of the justice’s Maryland home just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old man was armed with a Glock handgun with two magazines, a knife, a hammer, a crowbar, pepper spray and other equipment.
He was seen by two deputy U.S. Marshals on the scene and proceeded to walk down the street from Kavanaugh’s residence.
The plot was halted when Roske himself called 911, revealing his intentions to local law enforcement.
In interviews with law enforcement, Roske said he was upset about the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to the criminal complaint. He said he believed his target would side with Supreme Court decisions protecting the Second Amendment.
According to the complaint, Roske sought to “give his life a purpose” through the act and intended to kill himself after the assassination.
The suspect was expected to appear in federal court on Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Is this domestic terrorism?
Yes: 93% (547 Votes)
No: 7% (39 Votes)
Personal information on Roske is scarce.
A LinkedIn account belonging to a Nicholas Roske identifies him as an employee of a pest control company in Simi Valley, California.
Kavanaugh’s home has recently been targeted by pro-abortion protesters, some of whom leaked his address on the internet.
Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned Roske’s actions, insisting that he would use his powers to guarantee the safety of Supreme Court justices.
“This kind of behavior is obviously behavior that we will not tolerate,” he said, according to CNBC.
“Threats of violence and actual violence against the justices of course strike at the heart of our democracy, and we will do everything we can to prevent them and hold the people who do them accountable for that reason.”
