A gunman, dressed like a FedEx delivery worker, open fire at 5 pm at the North Brunswick home of the US district judge Esther Salas Sunday night. Authorities confirmed that Daniel Anderl, 20, the only child of Salas died of his wounds in the shooting.
The son reportedly opened the door with his father standing behind him, investigators told the press.
Salas’ husband, Mark Anderl, 63, a criminal defense lawyer, was seriously injured in the attack too. Authorities said that he was listed as stable after undergoing surgery.
The US district judge was home during the incident but was not injured as she was in the basement. The FBI confirmed it was looking for one suspect in the shootings. The assailant remains at large, the authorities noted, highlighting that the motive for is unclear.
Daniel was about to start his second year at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in the fall. He was included in the Dean’s List for the spring semester, the university said.
It is not immediately known whether Judge Salas faced any threats. During her nine years as a federal judge, she has presided over numerous high-profile cases.
Seated in Newark, Judge Salas was nominated by Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Previously, she served as a US magistrate judge in New Jersey after several years as a public defender.
In 2014, she sentenced ”Real Housewives of New Jersey” reality stars Theresa and Joe Guidice, to 56 months in prison in total for tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud. Furthermore, she has also involved in murder and drug trafficking cases.
In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged with several deaths, arguing that his intellectual disability made him ineligible for such a punishment. She sentenced him to 45 years in prison.
Several weeks ago, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit by Deutsche Bank investors stating that the German lender made false statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to screen ”high-risk customers,” including the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Bob Menendez, the Democractic New Jersey senator who backed her nomination for a federal judge, said that the person in charge for this ”horrendous act” should be apprehended and brought to justice.
Phil Murphy, the New Jersey Governor, labelled the shooting as a ”senseless act.” He also noted that the case is the very next proof that gun violance remains a crisis in the United States.
What do you think? Do you believe that the shooting is related to Judge Salas’ career?