Authorities in the US on Tuesday arrested a 26-year-old man attempting to kill Supreme Court judge Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The man was later identified as Nicholas John Roske, who later said that he was upset about the Uvalde school shooting in Texas. 19 students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting by one Salvador Ramos. Now the US authorities have confirmed that the California man will face a charge of attempted murder.
According to a court affidavit, Roske had planned to forcibly enter the judge’s house, kill him before killing himself.
Who Is Nicholas John Roske?
According to the police, Roske hails from California and he was extremely upset about the Uvalde school shooting. The court affidavit said that he was also angry about the leaked draft a Supreme Court opinion, which suggested that the top US court judges were set to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that guarantees the right to an abortion.
A report by New York Times said that there had been protests outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home and the homes of the other justices since the leaked draft was published last month.
Also Read: Who’s Salvador Ramos, killer of 21 people in Texas school? What was his motive?
Roske was spotted by two US Deputy Marshals while getting out of a taxicab in front of the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Roske was carrying a suitcase and a backpack at that time. He began to walk down the street after seeing the security presence near the judge’s house.
Moments later, emergency services received a call from Roske, who said he was having suicidal thoughts. He also informed that he had a gun and was in the area from California to kill ‘a specific United States Supreme Court Justice.’ A team of cops arrived at the scene and found Roske still busy in conversation with the emergency services staff. He was immediately taken into custody.
Also Read: Shocking Buffalo shooting Twitch clip leaked on Internet
Roske reportedly told the cops that he was concerned that Justice Kavanaugh might also strike down a century-old New York State law that places strict limits on the carrying of handguns.
If convicted, Roske could face a jail sentence of up to 20 years. He was produced in a district court on Wednesday. The court set 22 June as the next date of hearing.
Roske’s job, family
Roske is believed to be running a pest control company’s office in Simi Valley. He reportedly lived in California with his parents, who are identified as Colleen and Vernon. There is not much information about his marital status or if he has been dating anyone.