Brett Kavanaugh assassination plot
| Brett Kavanaugh assassination plot | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. |
| Date | June 8, 2022 1:05 a.m. (EST) |
| Target | Brett Kavanaugh |
Attack type | Attempted homicide |
| Injured | None |
| Accused | Nicholas Roske |
| Charges | Attempted murder of a Justice of the United States |
On June 8, 2022, Nicholas Roske travelled to the home of Brett Kavanaugh, an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, with alleged plans to break in Kavanaugh's home, kill him, and then commit suicide.[1] After arriving at Kavanaugh's residence, Roske called the police on himself and was arrested.[2]
Roske told police he was frustrated with the leaked Supreme Court decision that was poised to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that guaranteed abortion as a right, as well as the Robb Elementary School shooting and the possibility of the Court loosening gun restrictions under the Second Amendment.[2]
Incident
Roske traveled by plane from his residence in Simi Valley, California to the Washington, D.C. area. He then took a taxi cab to Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, arriving at 1:05 a.m. on June 8, 2022.[3][2] He was wearing black clothing and was carrying a suitcase, a backpack, and several items and weapons: a Glock-17 pistol with ammunition, zip ties, a tactical knife, pepper spray, a hammer, a screwdriver, a nail punch, a crowbar, duct tape, a pistol light, and boots padded to be stealthy.[4][2][5] Upon Roske’s arrival, two U.S. Marshalls stationed outside Kavanaugh’s home saw him step out of the cab.[2]
After arriving and seeing the U.S. Marshalls, Roske started walking down the street.[2] He then texted his sister and told her his intentions; she convinced him to call 9-1-1.[6] At 1:38 a.m.,[4] Roske called 9-1-1 and was connected with the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center.[2][4] Roske told the operator that he was having suicidal thoughts, that he was armed, and that he had traveled from California to Maryland “to kill a specific United States Supreme Court justice.”[2] He also said, “I’m standing now, but I can sit, whatever. I want to be fully compliant.”[4] When police arrived, Roske was still on the phone with the communications center, and he was arrested without incident.[4][2]
Accused
Nicholas John Roske is a 26 year-old man from Simi Valley, California.[7][2]
After his arrest, Roske told police he was upset about the leaked draft of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which signaled the Court was positioned to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that declared abortion a right in the constitution. He also cited the Robb Elementary School shooting and his belief that Kavanaugh would loosen gun restrictions.[8] On internet chats, Roske wrote, "Im gonna stop roe v wade from being overturned" and that he was going to "Remove some people from the supreme court." It was later revealed that Roske spoke of killing two other conservative Supreme Court justices.[6]
Legal proceedings
Roske has been held by authorities since his arrest on June 8, 2022 [9] A federal grand jury indicted Roske of attempted murder of a Justice of the United States.[10] He has plead not guilty.
References
- ^ Sneed, Holmes Lybrand,Tierney (27 July 2022). "FBI says man accused of attempting to kill Brett Kavanaugh said he was 'shooting for 3' justices | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cramer, Maria; Jiménez, Jesus (8 June 2022). "Armed Man Traveled to Justice Kavanaugh's Home to Kill Him, Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ "Man arrested near Kavanaugh's home charged with attempting to murder Supreme Court justice". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "New 911 tapes show how man accused in Kavanaugh murder plot abandoned plan". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ Lybrand, Holmes (22 June 2022). "Man charged with attempting to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh pleads not guilty | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Man accused of Kavanaugh murder plot indicted by federal grand jury". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Judge likely to order mental evaluation for defendant in Kavanaugh threat case". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Nicholas Roske, accused of trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh, pleads not guilty". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Man accused in Kavanaugh assassination plot pleads not guilty". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "California Man Facing Federal Indictment in Maryland for the Attempted Murder of a Supreme Court Justice". www.justice.gov. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.