“The man was armed and made threats against Justice Kavanaugh,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in an email.

Roske was taken into custody by the Montgomery County Police and allegedly also told detectives that he was upset about the recent leak of the court’s draft decision regarding the right to abortion and the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

A search of his backpack and suitcase revealed he was carrying a tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, and various hardware, according to the affidavit.

Kavanaugh’s home has been the site of protests since Politico published the draft opinion May 2. Politico said Kavanaugh was one of five justices who at least tentatively voted to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973.

The Supreme Court has ramped up security since then, surrounding its building with eight-foot unscalable fencing. The building has been closed to the public since the pandemic began in March 2020. The court is scheduled to rule by the end of its term in late June or early July.

Politicians said justices needed to be better protected after the incident. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the reported incident “an assassination attempt against a sitting justice, or something close to it.” He called on the House to act by the end of the day on Senate-passed legislation that would enhance security for Supreme Court justices and their family members.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, said Wednesday he is “hopeful we can get an agreement soon” to enhance Supreme Court security.

Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters Wednesday that threats of violence against justices “strike at the heart of our democracy.”

–With assistance from Sabrina Willmer, Erik Wasson and Chris Strohm.