Man accused of attempting to kill Justice Kavanaugh researched ‘assassin skills,’ ‘how to be stealthy’: FBI

The California man accused of attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh left a paper trail of internet research before showing up at the judge’s house, according to the FBI.

Nicholas Roske, who was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s Maryland home on June 8 with a black tactical chest rig, a Glock 17 pistol with two magazines, ammunition, a knife, pepper spray, zip ties and duct tape inside his backpack, used a number of different email addresses to get advice on Reddit, according to a search warrant application from the FBI.

“Would Kavanaugh being removed from the SC help women long term?” he allegedly asked on May 10.

“How difficult is it to covertly take out a (high value target)?” he wrote in another post, according to the FBI.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh (Chip Somodevilla/)

Between May 5 and June 8, search history on his cell phone included queries for “quietest semi auto rifle,” “Reagan assassination attempt,” “most effective place to stab someone,” “assassin skills,” “assassin equipment,” “assassinations,” “supreme court,” “how to be stealthy” and “gun lubricant.”

In a conversation on Discord on May 25, Roske allegedly said he was “shooting for 3″ Supreme Court justices.

Just before 1 a.m. on June 8, Roske, dressed in black and carrying a suitcase and a backpack, got out of a cab near Kavanaugh’s Chevy Chase home and encountered two deputy U.S. marshals stationed outside, according to an arrest affidavit previously obtained by the Daily News.

In interviews with detectives after his arrest, Roske allegedly said he planned to break into Kavanaugh’s house, kill the justice and then die by suicide.

Roske has pleaded not guilty.