(CNN) — The Justice Department has charged a man apprehended near Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland home early Wednesday with trying or threatening to kidnap or murder a US judge.
According to the criminal complaint, the individual, Nicholas John Roske, called 911 and said he was experiencing suicidal thoughts and had a pistol in his suitcase, which led to his arrest.
According to an FBI affidavit unsealed Wednesday, he informed authorities he flew from California to kill "a specific United States Supreme Court Justice." According to the affidavit, Roske was unhappy over the leak of the Supreme Court opinion on abortion rights, an imminent gun control lawsuit, and the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which occurred last month.
"Roske indicated that he believed the Justice he intended to assassinate would support Second Amendment judgments that would lessen gun control restrictions," the FBI agent wrote. After breaking into the Supreme Court Justice's residence, "Roske indicated that he began thinking about how to give his life a purpose and concluded that he would kill the Supreme Court Justice." Roske also intended to commit suicide, according to the affidavit.
According to the FBI, Roske was carrying a suitcase and backpack containing a tactical knife, a Glock 17 pistol, two magazines, ammo, pepper spray, and zip ties on Wednesday morning.
According to the affidavit, Roske also had a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crowbar, handgun light, and duct tape on hand.
He is due to appear in federal court in Maryland on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.
The White House'strongly condemns' the attack
According to the White House, President Joe Biden criticizes the behavior of the armed man apprehended outside Kavanaugh's home. Andrew Bates, a spokesman for the White House, told CNN "President Biden strongly condemns this individual's acts and expresses gratitude to law enforcement for apprehending him so soon."
"As the President has repeatedly stated, public officials, including judges, must be allowed to do their jobs without fear for their own or their families' safety. And there is no place in our culture for violence, threats of violence, or attempts to intimidate justices. He's said that, and his spokespeople have been adamant about it from the podium."
Biden "supports legislation to provide greater security for the court and justices," according to Bates.
Threats are becoming more prevalent
Threats against the court have increased as a result of the national abortion rights debate and protests that have taken place across the United States. After a draft judgment overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked, the Department of Homeland Security published a document last month warning law enforcement that there are potential threats to Supreme Court members.
According to the email, Supreme Court officers have detected a significant increase in violent social media threats, with several presently under investigation. Some of the threats were aimed at the justices and the courthouse, which is now ringed by barbed wire.
The arrest occurred only hours before the justices were set to give additional rulings in the last weeks of the yearly session.
The court did not answer to a question about whether Kavanaugh was present at the building on Wednesday morning. The facility has been closed to the public since March 2020, and according to covid regulations, justices no longer declare their opinions from the courtroom bench.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated on Wednesday that "threats of violence and actual assault against" Supreme Court justices "strike at the heart of our democracy, and we will do all in our power to prevent them and hold those who perpetrate them accountable."
"Obviously, this is behavior that we will not allow," Garland told reporters. "Threats of violence and actual violence against justices, of course, strike at the heart of our democracy, and we will do everything in our power to prevent them and hold those who perpetrate them accountable."
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan stated in a statement that "heightened security" has been implemented at the houses of justices since last month.
"I urge on leaders in both parties in Washington to denounce these actions unequivocally. It is critical to our constitutional system that the justices be able to perform out their duties without fear of being attacked or having their families attacked "Republican Hogan stated.
"We will continue to work with both federal and local law enforcement officers to help maintain the security of these residential communities," Hogan stated.
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