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A suspect who murdered a former Wisconsin judge had a hit list that included other prominent politicians, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Former Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer was found zip-tied to a chair in his home with a fatal gunshot wound on Friday (June 3) morning. The suspect was found in the basement with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect, who has not been identified, was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition.
Officials said that the targeted killing was related to several court cases, though they did not provide additional details. The Wisconsin Rapid Tribune reported that Roemer presided over several high-profile cases during his 13-year tenure on the Juneau County Circuit Court. Before he was elected to the court, Roemer was the Juneau County district attorney from 2005 to 2013
"This, as I mentioned before, does appear to be a targeted act, and the individual who is a suspect appears to have had other targets as well. It appears to be related to the judicial system," Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said.
Kaul said there is no threat to the other individuals on the suspect's hit list but noted the targets have been notified about the potential threat.
"Those who may have been other targets have been notified of that, but we are not aware of any active threat to individuals," he said. "If we become aware of any specific ongoing threat, we will certainly notify people when we are aware of that."