The attempted murder charges against a California man for threatening to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh raised questions about the security and safety of the Supreme Court justices as they prepare to deliver an opinion on the Roe v. Wade abortion case. The Justice Department alleged that Nicholas Roske, 26, of California appeared in Kavanaugh’s Maryland neighborhood early Wednesday morning with a gun. Roske told police he was “upset” about a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn precedent granting a federal constitutional right to abortion.
Justices have faced protests at their homes, and extra security has been deployed. Justice Samuel Alito went as far as giving a speech from an undisclosed location after his home was targeted by protesters. Republicans in Congress lashed out at Democrats, calling on the House to pass a measure that would increase security for the Supreme Court and justices’ families. “House Democrats need to pass this bill and they need to do it today,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. The suspect in the Kavanaugh threat expressed concerns about the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Tx., saying he believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun laws. Roske, of Simi Valley, allegedly called the Montgomery County, Md., Emergency Communications Center and said he had traveled from California with a gun in his suitcase to kill “a specific Supreme Court justice.” Roske said he was having suicidal thoughts and later said he planned to kill the justice and himself.