U.S. District Judge Esther Salas was in the basement when a gunman opened fire at her New Jersey home, according to reports.
A gunman wearing a FedEx uniform opened fire at the New Jersey home of federal judge Esther Salas, killing her 20-year-old son and critically injuring her husband, noted defense attorney Mark Anderl, according to reports.
Salas, who was in the basement, was not injured in the Sunday attack, NJ.com reported.
Police are investigating whether a lawyer found dead by suicide Monday is the gunman, The New York Times reported. New York State Police found the lawyer’s body in Liberty, New York, hours after the shooting occurred late Sunday afternoon, the paper said, citing an unnamed official.
The attorney was later identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-described "anti-feminist" lawyer who in 2015 brought a lawsuit before Judge Salas that challenged the male-only military draft, the paper reported. The case is still active.
A package addressed to Salas was found with the man's body, The Times reported.
Hollander had previously sued nightclubs for offering ladies’ night drink discounts and Columbia University for offering courses on women’s studies. He was a vehement opponent of women's rights and wrote in a book that Salas was "lazy and incompetent" and said her only accomplishment was being a high school cheerleader, NBC reported.
A massive manhunt had been underway for the gunman, who is believed to have acted alone, the FBI said in a statement.
"The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Ester Salas in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey earlier this evening, July 19. We're looking for one subject & ask that anyone who thinks they may have relevant information call us at 1-973-792-3001," the Newark office of the federal agency posted on Twitter.
Daniel Anderl was was a student at Catholic University and planned to attend law school. Mark Anderl, 63,who underwent surgery following the shooting, is in critical but stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to reports.
Salas, 51, is the first Hispanic woman to serve on New Jersey’s federal bench. She was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Among her most high profile cases was the financial fraud case involving “Real Housewives of New Jersey” reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice. They were sentenced to staggered prison terms so their four daughters would be cared for.
She also oversaw the case of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. Salas was recently assigned a case with a link to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a lawsuit, Deutsche Bank AG is accused of misleading investors “about anti-money-laundering deficiencies,” involving high-risk customers, including disgraced financier Epstein, who killed himself in a New York City jail while awaiting trial on sex charges.
When reached by Bloomberg Law Thursday, Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the new suit but said it had offered to help law enforcement immediately after Epstein’s arrest. “We have been fully transparent and have addressed these matters with our regulator, adjusted our risk tolerance and systematically tackled the issues,” a spokesperson told Bloomberg Law. “Our reputation is our most valuable asset and we deeply regret our association with Epstein."
Authorities have not released a possible motive for the attack at Salas and Anderl's home, or commented on whether her cases may have been related to the shootings.
“Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act,” Gov. Phil Murphy wrote on Twitter.
"She’s a great Judge and an extraordinary person. Mary Pat & I pray for her, her husband Mark and their dear son Daniel," former governor Chris Christie posted on social media. "What an unspeakable tragedy and loss."
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