Governor Whitmer of Michigan was on a hit list written by a man accused of shooting a Wisconsin judge

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Governor Whitmer of Michigan was on a hit list written by a man accused of shooting a Wisconsin judge
Gov. Gretchen WhitmerChip Somodevilla/Getty Images
  • An armed individual shot and killed a former Judge in Wisconsin on Friday, authorities said.
  • The gunman reportedly had a hit list that included Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was among those featured on a hit list of a man suspected of shooting and killing a former Wisconsin Judge on Friday, Reuters reported.

A spokesperson from the Governor's office told Reuters on Saturday that law enforcement notified the Governor's office that Whitmer was named, but declined to comment further.

On Friday, authorities said 56-year-old Douglas K. Uhde shot and killed 68-year-old former Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer in his home in New Lisbon, Wisconsin.

At 6:30 a.m. two shots were fired inside Roemer's home. An unidentified individual managed to escape from inside the house to call the police at a nearby residence.

Law enforcement arrived to negotiate with the suspect, but failed to do so and entered the home four hours later. Upon entering, they found Roemer deceased. Uhde was found alive in the basement of the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a medical facility.

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A firearm was recovered at the scene. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the incident.

Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul said during a press briefing Friday that the act was "targeted" and that the individual intended to attack others "related to the judicial system." Uhde had been sentenced to prison time by Roemer over a decade prior, the Daily Beast reported.

Local station WTMJ reported that Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was also one of those targeted.

A representative from Ever's office told Insider, "We do not comment on specific security threats or the governor's security detail."

Whitmer has been a target of extremists after drawing criticism for instating COVID-19 lockdowns in Michigan. In 2020, the FBI discovered a right-wing militia plotted to kidnap the Michigan governor. The militia built bombs and began monitoring Whitmer's vacation homes.

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A representative for Whitmer did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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