The FBI on Wednesday raided the Simi Valley, California, home of Nicholas John Roske, the man charged with attempted murder after he told police he planned to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, according to CBS Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old is facing up to 20 years in federal prison and is currently in federal custody.
Neighbors told CBS Los Angeles it was surprising to hear about Mr. Roske’s arrest.
“They were always nice people so it’s a surprise more than anything,” neighbor Zach Quadri said.
His grandfather, Dan Shannon, described him as a “good kid.”
Mr. Roske appeared before a federal judge Wednesday, pausing several times while speaking.
“I think I have a reasonable understanding, but I wouldn’t say I’m thinking clearly,” he told the judge, according to The New York Post.
Andrew R. Szekely is the public defender appointed to represent Mr. Roske. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Around 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Mr. Roske was arrested and taken to a Montgomery County, Maryland, police station.
He had a handgun, knife and other tools on him, arriving via a taxicab outside the Maryland home of Justice Kavanaugh.
He told the federal agent investigating him that he was was angry the high court is set to overturn abortion rights and outraged over the recent mass shootings.
The homes of some of the court’s conservative justices have been targeted for protests since a leaked draft opinion indicating they would overturn national abortion rights was published last month.
In the draft opinion that was published by Politico, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said abortion laws should return to the state legislatures, thus overturning 1973’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the draft opinion was authentic but noted that it did not represent a final ruling. He ordered the court’s marshal to investigate who leaked the document.
The abortion ruling is expected to be issued by the end of June.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.