Courts

Shooter accused of murdering retired Juneau County judge reportedly wanted to kill Gov. Evers and Mitch McConnell

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2022

A gunman suspected of fatally shooting a retired western Wisconsin judge at his home had a list that included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. That’s according to Whitmer’s office and a law enforcement source.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said that 56-year-old Douglas K. Uhde, who has not been charged, is suspected of killing retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer at Roemer’s house in New Lisbon on Friday.

Uhde was found in the basement of the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and has been hospitalized in critical condition. He has an extensive criminal record dating back two decades, including a case when he was sentenced by Roemer to prison.

Attorney General Josh Kaul said the shooting Friday morning appeared to be a targeted act, and that the gunman had selected targets who were part of the judicial system.

An investigation involving the FBI and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation is ongoing.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.