According to CNN, a Wisconsin judge was shot and killed in his home by a gunman who had a political hit list that included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and others.
Former Judge John Roemer, who served as a circuit court judge in Juneau County, was the target of the Friday shooting. The 68-year-old judge was shot and killed at his New Lisbon home by a 56-year-old attacker, according to investigators. On Friday, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul stated that the shooter was motivated by âsome form of legal matter or cases,â but the investigation is still underway. The only thing they know today is that the kill list had âsomething to do with the court system,â according to Kaul.
Over the weekend, CNNâs Fredricka Whitfield reported on CNN Newsroom that the shooter planned to target a âlong listâ of other high-ranking government officials, including McConnell, Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), the latter of whom was targeted in a kidnapping plot foiled by FBI agents in 2020.
Though the motive of the gunman is unknown, CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild said there is a âheightened threatâ environment for government officials because of a âreal concernâ with unstable individuals who have âantigovernment sentiments and grievancesâ and may be looking for âsoft targetsâ like Roemer.
On Friday morning, according to Kaul, local officials received a call that someone was in Roemerâs home with a gun. An unidentified person inside Roemerâs residence heard two shots fired before fleeing to an adjacent property, according to the call. The judge was found dead in the basement, and the gunman was located in the cellar with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, when police came and attempted to negotiate.
On Friday, Kaul acknowledged that the shooter had other targets he wanted to assassinate. He stated that the targets have been told, but that there is no âactive threatâ to their life at this time.
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