A 29-year-old California man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, after arriving at the justice’s Maryland residence armed with multiple weapons and tactical gear. Nicholas Roske arrived outside Kavanaugh’s Chevy Chase home at 1 a.m. in June 2022, carrying a backpack and dressed in black.
After encountering two US Marshal deputies guarding the residence, Roske retreated and called police, expressing suicidal and homicidal thoughts while confessing his intent to kill Kavanaugh. Law enforcement discovered Roske carrying an arsenal including a Glock 17 pistol, tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, hammer, duct tape, burglary tools, and a tactical chest rig.
Nicholas Roske has pleaded to guilty to attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and could get life in prison. pic.twitter.com/SiIoxxCJLE
— Steven Gorges (@GorgesSteven) April 8, 2025
During investigation, Roske revealed his actions were motivated by anger over the anticipated overturning of Roe v. Wade and distress regarding the Uvalde school shooting that claimed 21 lives and injured 17 others. “People have killed judges before,” Roske wrote in encrypted messages. “Im gonna stop roe v wade from being overturned.” “Yeah but at the end of the day biden still chooses the replacements. gop cant do sh[—] about it.” The Supreme Court ultimately reversed Roe v. Wade approximately two weeks after Roske’s arrest.
🔎 The man who tried to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh is officially pleading guilty—and you’re not hearing nearly enough about it.
Nicholas Roske, a California man, traveled cross-country with a pistol, crowbar, zip ties, ammo, and the intent to kill a sitting U.S. Supreme… pic.twitter.com/AD3BfxPK7V
— Krista Monroe (@MsKristaMonroe) April 2, 2025
The Simi Valley resident now faces potential life imprisonment for attempting to murder a Supreme Court justice. Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence, with his sentencing scheduled for October 3. This incident highlights growing concerns about political violence against officials. Recently, a Florida resident received a 14-month sentence for threatening Chief Justice John Roberts, while Congress approved $25.6 million to enhance Supreme Court security measures.
