Retired judge fatally shot in 'targeted act,' allegedly by man he previously sentenced to prison

JUNEAU COUNTY, Wis. (TCD) -- A 56-year-old man died Tuesday after he allegedly shot a retired judge to death, then turned the gun on himself in what officials say was a targeted attack.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, on Friday, June 3, at 6:30 a.m., the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office received a call about shots fired and an armed man at a residence in New Lisbon. The person who called police reportedly left the home and dialed 911 from another residence.

Law enforcement officials arrived on the scene and attempted to negotiate with the suspect, Douglas Uhde, to surrender. A Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team reportedly entered the home at 10:17 a.m. and discovered 68-year-old Judge John Roemer deceased.

Officials soon located Uhde in the home’s basement with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Investigators also reportedly seized a firearm at the scene.

The Associated Press reports Uhde died Tuesday, June 7. He was reportedly declared brain dead Saturday, June 4, but he was kept on life support for organ donation purposes.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said in the statement Roemer’s death was a "targeted act."

According to The Associated Press, Roemer had been zip-tied to a chair and shot. Roemer, a retired Juneau County Circuit Court judge, previously sentenced Uhde to six years in prison for weapons charges.

Uhde allegedly had a list with other high-ranking officials he planned to target, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Sen. Mitch McConnell.

The Associated Press reports Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said, "The information that’s been gathered indicated that it was a targeted act and that the targeting was based on some sort of court case or court cases."

Former Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth described Roemer to the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune as a "brilliant legal scholar who devoted an incredible amount of time to doing the right thing."

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