NEW LISBON, Wisconsin (Washington Insider Magazine) – A law enforcement officer familiar with the investigation told ABC News that a suspect who reportedly shot and killed a former Wisconsin judge in a planned assault had a target list that featured Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
According to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, law officers rushed to a residence in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, on Friday morning after a 911 caller reported an armed man in the property who had fired 2 bullets.
The caller had left the house and dialed 911 from a nearby house.
Before storming the house, the Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team tried to communicate with the alleged attacker. They discovered the homeowner, a 68-year-old male, dead inside, as well as a 56-year-old man in the basement with an evident self-inflicted bullet wound, according to Kaul.
According to Kaul, the suspect, eventually identified as Douglas Uhde, was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. According to him, a weapon was discovered at the site.
Kaul did not disclose any additional information about the man murdered or the other targets on Friday, other than to say that they appeared to be targeted because of a legal case or cases. The deceased was retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer, according to a statement released by the Wisconsin Justice department on Saturday.
Roemer was engaged in Uhde’s incarceration for a criminal conviction in 2002, according to Wisconsin court documents. He condemned Uhde to 6 years in state prison and 9 years of prolonged supervision in 2005 for armed robbery, a misdemeanor, as well as 3 lesser offenses.
According to the law enforcement officer, when SWAT stormed the house, they discovered Roemer zip-tied to a chair and shot to death.
Roemer’s, Whitmer’s, and McConnell’s names were discovered on a hit list located inside the suspect’s vehicle at the scene, as well as Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’, according to the source. According to court documents, several of the individuals on the list appear to be connected to Uhde’s armed robbery case.
This is preliminary material that may change as the inquiry progresses.
Authorities have contacted persons suspected of being targets, according to Kaul, and they have established that there is no immediate threat to the public. Authorities are also trying to figure out if there’s a link between this and prior incidents, he said.
Whitmer’s office was told on Friday that the governor’s name surfaced on the Wisconsin shooter’s list, according to a representative for the governor.
A representative for Evers told ABC NEWS that the governor’s protection detail and particular security risks are not discussed.
The Division of Criminal Investigation of the Wisconsin Justice department is in charge of the investigation into the killing.
According to the law enforcement official, the probe is being treated both as a homicide and a probable act of domestic terrorism.
Roemer was first appointed to the Juneau County Circuit Court in 2004, and was re-elected in 2010, 2016, and 2017. He retired in 2017. He had formerly worked as an associate district attorney and an assistant state public defender in Juneau County. He also served in the US Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel.
Judges have been targeted more frequently in recent years. According to the US Marshals Service, there had been over 4,500 threats and “inappropriate communications” towards protected personnel, including federal judges, last year.
After her son was killed in a premeditated attack at their New Jersey house in 2020, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas is seeking to have a federal bill approved that will limit access to public officials’ personal information. New Jersey enacted a bill similar to this in 2020. Daniel’s Law, titled after Salas’ son, protects any active or former prosecutor, judge, or law enforcement officer’s contact information and home addresses from public exposure.
