An armed California man was arrested not far from the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh after travelling to Maryland in an attempt to assassinate the judge. Nicholas Roske, 26, told investigators that he was motivated by Kavanaugh’s pro-gun stances and was angered by the Uvalde shooting.
Roske was arrested by the Montgomery County Police Department at 1:50 a.m. after travelling from California. Roske, dressed in all black, reportedly approached Kavanaugh’s home while carrying a briefcase but was spotted by two U.S. Marshals on approach.
After leaving the area, the would-be assassin called 911 and said he wanted to kill Kavanaugh. He was then arrested shortly after turning himself in.
Upon searching his suitcase, police found an arsenal that included a tactical police vest, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a Glock 17 pistol, two magazines and extra ammunition.
Investigators also recovered equipment that indicated plans for hostage taking, potentially of the justice’s family. Among the items was a hammer, a screwdriver, a nail punch, a crow bar, a pistol light, duct tape and a pair of hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, among other items, prosecutors said.
The would-be assassin believes Kavanaugh would prevent gun control legislation from being upheld, Roske told an FBI interviewer. He told investigators that he was upset over the leaked draft opinion on Roe v. Wade, as well as the Uvalde shooting, and believed that assassinating Kavanaugh would “give his life purpose.”
During his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday, Roske stated that he was on medication and “isn’t thinking clearly.”
In a statement, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said President Biden “condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms” and that he’s grateful to law enforcement for quickly apprehending the suspect, The New York Post reported. “As the President has consistently made clear, public officials—including judges—must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families,” Bates continued.
The assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh comes as far-left extremists — with the blessing of elected Democrats and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki — have been picketing outside the homes of Supreme Court justices since the Roe news leaked.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) previously stated that conservative justices would “pay the price” if Roe v. Wade is overturned. “I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price,” Schumer, who was then minority leader, said in March 2020. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
A number of conservatives and elected Republicans have pointed to Schumer’s quote in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.