The family of the man arrested for allegedly plotting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have come to his defence, describing him as a “good kid”.
Dan Shannon, the grandfather of suspect Nicholas Roske, told CBS Los Angeles that the allegations against the 26-year-old are “extremely” out of character.
“He’s a good kid,” he said.
Mr Roske’s neighbour also told the outlet that he was surprised to learn Mr Roske could be involved in a murder plot and suspected that mental illness could have played a part.
“They were always nice people so it’s a surprise more than anything,” said Zach Quadri.
“I think that it’s a scary time we live in and people really need to look out for one another and mental health is a big issue going on in the world.”
Mr Roske was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning outside the Maryland home of the conservative justice armed with a firearm and a trove of tactical gear.
The suspect had called 911 at around 1.40am on Wednesday saying he had travelled from his home in California to Maryland to kill a specific Supreme Court justice and then kill himself, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Officers responded to the scene and found Mr Roske near Mr Kavanaugh’s residence in Chevy Chase, still on the phone to the emergency dispatcher.
The suspect was found in possession of a backpack and a suitcase at the scene, which contained a black tactical chest rig, tactical knife, a Glock 17 pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crowbar, pistol light, duct tape, hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, and other items.
Following his arrest, the suspect told investigators that he was angry with the conservative justice over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would strike down Roe v Wade, overturning the landmark ruling that gave Americans a right to abortion access.
If Roe is overturned, abortion will be effectively banned across almost half of the US.
The suspect also allegedly voiced his anger towards the conservative justice around gun control, referring to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 young students and two teachers were shot and killed last month.
Mr Roske said he believed Mr Kavanaugh would “side with Second Amendment decisions that would loosen gun control laws” across the country, according to the complaint.
Hours after his arrest, he appeared in court charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The incident comes as protesters have gathered outside the homes of justices following the leak of the majority opinion that could strike down Roe v Wade and at a time when lawmakers are poised to vote on funding additional security for Supreme Court justices, court officers and their immediate family members.
The White House condemned the threat on Wednesday and said the Biden administration supports passing legislation to increase security for the Supreme Court and its justices.
“As the president has consistently made clear, public officials – including judges – must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families,” according to a statement from White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.
“And any violence, threats of violence, or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society.”
