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Son Of New Jersey Federal Judge 'Shot Through The Heart' By Attorney Disguised As FedEx Worker
Attorney Roy Den Hollander, who authorities believe killed Judge Esther Salas’ son Daniel Anderl, was found dead of an apparent suicide Monday.
The son of a federal judge was shot to death in an apparent targeted attack at the family’s New Jersey home — carried out by a now-dead attorney who reportedly had a case pending before the judge.
Judge Esther Salas’ son, 20-year-old Daniel Anderl, was shot and killed by a gunman allegedly posing as a deliveryman on Sunday, according to the New York Post. Around 5 p.m. that day, a man wearing a mask and FedEx uniform allegedly approached the family’s home and rang the doorbell. Anderl answered the door.
“He was shot through the heart,” North Brunswick Mayor Francis Womack told ABC News.
His father and Salas’ husband, Mark Anderl, was also shot several times during the attack but survived and was in stable condition as of Monday morning, according to ABC News. The shooter fled the scene after shooting the pair, CNN reported.
The gunman — who was later identified as lawyer Roy Den Hollander — was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Rockland County, New York Monday morning, according to the Daily Beast. His body was discovered in a car by a municipal worker, about two hours away from Salas' home.
Hollander, an alleged men's rights activist, had a challenge to the male-only military draft pending before Salas, according to the Daily Beast.
Authorities also found a package addressed to Judge Salas while investigating Hollander's death, The New York Times reported.
“There’s a pretty good level of confidence he’s the guy,” an official told the Times.
The FBI said it was also looking into the shooting.
Salas has overseen a number of organized crime cases involving street gangs. She has also been assigned to oversee a high-profile financial case involving Deutsche Bank investors who have accused the bank of not properly vetting risky clients, like convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, it isn't clear if the shooting is linked to any of these prior cases.
"As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any," Womack told ABC News.
Daniel was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
“I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderl’s tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey,” university president John Garvey said in a statement posted to Twitter. “Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks. He turned 20 last week.”
Friends said the 20-year-old aspired to study law.
“He had his whole future ahead,” friend Joe Mauro told NJ.com.
Mark Anderl is a well-known criminal defense attorney and also beloved by the community.
“He’s a very, very exuberant, vibrant, 100 percent pleasant person,” Mayor Womack told CNN. “He loves to talk about his wife, and he loves to brag about his son, and how his son would excel in baseball, and how he was doing down in college in Washington … I’m just very sorry to see him going through this.”
Salas, 51, is the first Hispanic woman to serve on New Jersey’s federal bench. She was nominated as district judge by Barack Obama in 2010, according to New Jersey Monthly.
Salas also famously sentenced “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” reality star Teresa Giudice and her husband, Joe, to prison for fraud in 2014. Giudice's attorney told TMZ his client was "devastated" when she heard about the shooting.
