Teacher tried to kill Brett Kavanaugh because of his stance on abortion – prosecutors

A substitute teacher planned to take his own life after the killing of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, prosecutors said.

Maryland federal judge Peter J. Messitte said at a status hearing Tuesday that Nicholas John Roske's trial will begin on June 9, 2025.

Roske, 28, reportedly told police that he was motivated by Kavanaugh's vote in the Dobbs case, which overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling.

The landmark 2022 case made clear that there is no constitutional right to abortion. Kavanaugh, a Trump-appointed judge, voted with the conservative majority.

A leaked copy of the decision appeared online, and police found Roske armed with a Glock pistol outside Kavanaugh's home two weeks before the Dobbs verdict was announced.

The assassination attempt was allegedly well planned: Roske was found to be in possession of a Glock pistol with ammunition, a thermal imaging monocular for seeing in the dark, pepper spray in a chest holster, a black mask and equipment for opening locks.

Roske also allegedly told police that he disagreed with Kavanaugh's pro-Second Amendment stance, especially after the mass shooting in Texas.

He found Kavanagh's home address on the Internet and allegedly had plans to kill Kavanaugh in his home and then kill himself.

Roske was charged with attempting to kidnap or murder, or threatening to assault, kidnap or murder, a federal judge, “namely, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.”

The indictment includes a motion to forfeit a firearm, two magazines containing 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition each, 17 rounds of ammunition in a plastic bag, a black speed loader and other items including a thermal imaging monocular, tactical gloves with brass knuckles, a Gerber hunting knife, pepper spray, lock picking and burglary tools, a flashlight, a laser and a black mask.

“If convicted, Roske faces life imprisonment in a federal prison for the attempted murder of a U.S. judge. Actual penalties for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties,” the Justice Department said in a statement when Roske was indicted in 2022.

Newsweek asked for an email comment from Roske's attorney on Thursday.

Roske was arrested outside Kavanaugh's Maryland home at 1:50 a.m. on June 8, 2022. The decision in the Dobbs case was not announced until June 24, 2022.

The suspect was taken to the Montgomery County Police Department's 2nd Precinct after his arrest.

He worked as a substitute teacher near his home in eastern Simi Valley, California. He graduated from Simi Valley High School in 2014.

The indictment states that on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., “two United States Deputy Marshals observed an individual dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack and suitcase exit a taxi cab that had stopped in front of the residence of a current United States Supreme Court Justice in Montgomery County, Maryland. The individual looked at the two Deputy U.S. Marshals standing next to their parked vehicle and then turned to walk down the street.”

The indictment shows that Roske had apparently reconsidered his actions.

“Shortly thereafter, the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center received a call from an individual who identified himself as NICHOLAS JOHN ROSKE,” it states.

“ROSKE informed the caller that he was suicidal and had a firearm in his suitcase. ROSKE also told the caller that he had come from California to kill a certain United States Supreme Court Justice. Montgomery County Police Department officers were dispatched to the location near the Supreme Court Justice's residence where they encountered ROSKE still on the phone with Montgomery County 911 dispatch. ROSKE was taken into custody without incident and police officers confiscated both the backpack and suitcase that were still in his possession.”

At the Montgomery police station, Roske allegedly told police he was “angry about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision on abortion rights, as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas,” the indictment states.

This was a mass shooting at an elementary school the previous month in which a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers and injured 17 others.

“ROSKE indicated that he was convinced that the judge he wanted to kill would side with Second Amendment decisions that relaxed gun laws,” the indictment continues.

It seemed as if Roske wanted to kill Kavanaugh and then turn the gun on himself.

“ROSKE stated that he was thinking about how to give meaning to his life and decided to kill the Supreme Court judge after finding his address in Montgomery County on the Internet. ROSKE further stated that he purchased the Glock pistol and other items with the intent to break into the judge's apartment and kill him and himself,” it states.