Former judge shot dead in Wisconsin by man with 'hit list' of targets with 'ties to the judicial system'

On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that a former judge was murdered in Wisconsin by a man who reportedly had a "hit list" of targets.

"The 'targeted' killing occurred at around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning at a home in the town of New Lisbon in Juneau County, Attorney General Josh Kaul told reporters. "Alerted to reports of gunshots in the area, deputies with the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home and unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate with the suspect inside, after which tactical units entered. They discovered the homeowner slain, and a '56-year-old male located in the basement, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,' [state Attorney General Josh] Kaul said."

According to the report, "Police were tight-lipped on unconfirmed reports the gunman belonged to a militia, and that the list also included Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The victim, identified only as a '68-year-old male,' has yet to be named."

Per Channel3000 reporting, "Kaul described the shooting as targeted and said law enforcement officials have not found any evidence that the general public is in any danger. He did, however, say that the suspect in the shooting may have been targeting other people with ties to the judicial system."

Channel3000 also confirmed that "a man with the same name as a former Juneau County judge owned a home in the neighborhood where the shooting happened."

Violence against judges and their families has occurred before. Most recently, in 2020, the son of New Jersey federal district court judge Esther Salas was shot and killed by an attacker.