US judge and wife shot at their suburban home

INDIANA, United States - An Indiana judge and his wife were shot at their home on Jan 18, prompting concerns for the safety of the state’s judiciary after recent increases in threats and violence against public officials nationally.

Police in Lafayette, Indiana, said on Jan 19 that they were investigating the shootings of the judge, Mr Steven Meyer of Tippecanoe County Superior Court, and his wife Kimberly Meyer.

Both were in stable condition.

Mr Meyer, 66, recently announced plans to retire at the end of the year. In 12 years on the bench, he has presided over a number of high-profile cases.

The shootings prompted a statement from Ms Loretta Rush, chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, urging judges to remain vigilant.

“I worry about the safety of all our judges,” Ms Rush wrote. “As you work to peacefully resolve more than one million cases a year, you must not only feel safe, you must also be safe.”

Public servants have become increasingly worried about their personal safety.

In 2025 alone, the Pennsylvania governor’s residence was set on fire while Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and his family were asleep inside; the Republican Party’s headquarters in New Mexico were firebombed; and a Democratic state representative in Minnesota, Ms Melissa Hortman, and her husband were assassinated in their home.

The Lafayette Police Department released few details about the shootings of the Meyers. Police said that they were called to the couple’s home at about 2pm on Jan 18.

They found that Mr Meyer had been shot in the arm, and that his wife had received an injury to her hip, police said.

According to a police dispatch from Jan 18, a caller had notified police that a man had come to the couple’s door, claimed he had found their dog, and then shot through the door before fleeing.

Police recovered shell casings at the scene, in a residential neighborhood about 10 minutes from Purdue University’s campus.

Several cases overseen by Mr Meyer, who has run for office as a Democrat and previously served on the Lafayette City Council, had been the subject of news reports in the state.

In July, for example, he sentenced a father to 24 years in prison for leaving a gun unattended in his apartment; his five-year-old son had found the gun and fatally shot his one-year-old brother.

In a statement on Jan 19, Mrs Meyer thanked the Police Department, medical personnel and the community for their support. NYTIMES