Former Wisconsin Judge John Roemer killed in 'targeted attack'

A former Wisconsin judge, John Roemer was bound and shot to death in his New Lisbon home on Friday morning, in what officials said was a targeted attack.

According to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, law enforcement was dispatched to the home of former Juneau County Judge John on reports of an armed person and two shots fired in a residence, as reported by People magazine.

Authorities discovered Roemer, 68, bound to a chair with zip ties and fatally shot, after dispatching a SWAT team to the house.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was the first to report Roemer's identity, as well as details about a rumoured "hit list" that included other high-profile targets like Wisconsin Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"This, as I mentioned before, does appear to be a targeted act and the individual who is a suspect appears to have had other targets as well. It appears to be related to the judicial system," Kaul said at a news conference.

"Those who may have been other targets have been notified of that, but we are not aware of any active threat to individuals. If we become aware of any specific ongoing threat, we will certainly notify people when we are aware of that," Kaul added.

Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team found the suspect, only identified as a 56-year-old male, in the basement with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, as per the Attorney General.

"Law enforcement began life-saving measures, and the individual was transported to a medical facility. A firearm was recovered at the scene," the initial statement said. "This incident appears to be a targeted act," as reported by People Magazine.

As per the Wisconsin Department of Justice, there is no active threat to the public, and the incident appears to be related to a previous court case.

The investigation is being led by the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, which is still reviewing the evidence before turning the case over to the Juneau County District Attorney.

( With inputs from ANI )