The husband and son of Obama-appointed federal judge Esther Salas were shot at their New Jersey home Sunday afternoon. The son was killed and the husband is in critical condition.
When we first spotted headlines about a lone gunman’s lethal assault on the home of a federal judge in New Jersey, we feared this was just another example of how criminals have been emboldened by the nationwide backlash against law enforcement embodied by the ‘defund the police’ movement.
But that was before we learned that the judge targeted in the attack – Newark-based US federal judge Esther Salas – had been assigned to a Deutsche Bank/Epstein lawsuit just four days before the attack.
The shooting occurred Sunday night at around 5pmET. Salas 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl, a student, opened the door at the family home in North Brunswick after hearing the doorbell ring. The man outside appeared to be a FedEx employee, according to media reports.
Almost immediately, the gunman started blasting, shooting and killing Anderl, and badly wounding his father, Mark Anderl, 63, a prominent defense attorney in the area. Salas has reportedly received threats from time to time, but local press reported that Salas hadn’t received any threats recently.
Was the gunman actually going after the judge but these two got in the way? Is this a big message to the next judge that will take the case – more than likely Salas will not be on the bench for a while.
“This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn’t done,” Governor Phil Murphy said of the shooting.
No, Governor. This was not random gun violence with a lunatic who liked to play dress up.
The suspect has been found dead apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The suspect was later found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound near Liberty, New York, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. A municipal employee discovered the body in a car.
Sources: Zero Hedge, ABC
