Authorities have arrested a man who wielded a weapon near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on early Wednesday morning.
Though the man didn’t make it onto Kavanaugh’s property in Montgomery County, Maryland, he reportedly said he was there to kill the justice.
Police haven’t identified the armed suspect, only offering that he’s in his mid-20s.
One published report said the individual carried a grudge against Kavanaugh because of the leaked draft of an opinion that revealed the justices are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the statute that provides constitutional protections for abortion.
“The man was armed and made threats against Justice Kavanaugh,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement, adding that the suspect was transported to Montgomery County Police 2nd District.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said officials had heightened security at the homes of all Supreme Court justices since May and that local and federal authorities are working together to safeguard their residences.
“I call on leaders in both parties in Washington to strongly condemn these actions in no uncertain terms,” the Republican governor said in a statement. “It is vital to our constitutional system that the justices be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence against them and their families.”
