John McCarthy Roll (February 8, 1947 – January 8, 2011) was a United States federal judge who served on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona from 1991 until his death in 2011, and as chief judge of that court from 2006 to 2011. With degrees from the University of Arizona College of Law and University of Virginia School of Law, Roll began his career as a court bailiff in Arizona and became an assistant city attorney of Tucson, Arizona in 1973. Later that year, Roll became a deputy county attorney for Pima County, Arizona until 1980, when he began serving as an assistant United States Attorney for seven years. President George H. W. Bush appointed Roll to a federal judge seat in Arizona after Roll served four years as a state judge.

Roll died after being shot along with 18 others while attending a constituent outreach event held by U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Casas Adobes, near Tucson, Arizona.^[2][3]

Death
Main article: 2011 Tucson shooting
Roadside sign at the scene of the shooting.

Roll was shot on January 8, 2011, outside a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, Arizona,^[13] when Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a "Congress on Your Corner" event held by Democratic U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Roll had attended Mass earlier that morning and decided to attend the event about an hour before the shooting.^[14] Surveillance video revealed that Roll was shot in the back after pushing down and shielding Ron Barber, a staffer for Giffords who had just been shot.^{[15][16][17][18]} Roll later died of his injuries, as did five other people.^[14] Thirteen others were injured by gunfire, but survived, including Giffords and Barber; Barber would go on to replace Giffords when she resigned from Congress to recuperate from the injuries sustained in the shooting.^[3]

The violence in Arizona today has senselessly taken five lives and inflicted tragic loss on dedicated public servants and their families. We in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own. Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years. I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families. Chief Judge Roll's death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it.^[19]

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement in response to the event (before the death of Christina-Taylor Green, the sixth person to die in the shooting):
President Barack Obama visits a recovering Ron Barber, whom Roll had reportedly shielded during the shooting.^[17]

Other plaudits came from Senator John McCain, who had recommended Roll for appointment to the federal bench; from Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik; and from Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, who noted that Roll was an active parishioner who "lived his faith".^[20] Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, whose jurisdiction includes Arizona, stated that "Judge Roll was a widely respected jurist, a strong and able leader of his court, and a kind, courteous and sincere gentleman".^[20] President Barack Obama commented on Roll's death in his statement issued after the shooting, noting that Roll "served America's legal system for almost 40 years".^[21]

Jared Lee Loughner was charged by federal prosecutors with Roll's murder. Evidence gathered by federal investigators indicates that Giffords was Loughner's main target. Roll was apparently not specifically targeted – Loughner might not have even known who he was.

Roll lived in the area, and had attended the event to continue a prior conversation with Giffords about the volume of cases in Arizona Federal courts.^[22] Roll was the first federal judge murdered in office since Robert Vance in 1989.^[12] Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals selected Larry Alan Burns, a judge of the Southern District Court of California, to be the presiding judge over Loughner's trial,^[23][24] because the entire federal judiciary from the state of Arizona had recused themselves because of their ties to Roll.^[25][26]