MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin’s governor and top legal officer are now speaking out after the gunman suspected of fatally shooting a retired Juneau County judge died.
After the death of the man suspected in killing retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer in a targeted attack, Gov. Tony Evers said he grieves with Roemer’s family and is upset at the lack of justice.
“Having him ending his life without the judgment of the people of Wisconsin, I think, is a tragedy,” said Evers. “I would’ve loved to have him stand… stand in court and be convicted and sentenced to life in prison.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says in light of the killing of Judge Roemer, as well as information that the gunman had a hit list of a number of government leaders, including Gov. Evers, it’s important for all branches of government to assess their security measures and figure out what changes need to be made to keep public officials safe.
Previous Coverage:
- Targeted attack: Retired judge killed, suspect injured in Juneau County
- Community grieving the death of former Judge John Roemer following murder
Still, Kaul says there needs to be a path forward.
“Public officials can't be deterred from doing the work that they're doing. They can't be stopped from having the debates that they're going to be having. We should be having those debates respectfully and in a way that respects our process,” said Kaul.
Kaul says the Wisconsin Department of Justice has no information indicating there is any active and ongoing threat related to the shooting and if anything changes, he says they will take action to inform both the public and those who face harm.
