- A gunman has shot dead the 20-year-old son of a US District Court Judge and injured her 63-year-old husband
- The
shooting took place at Judge Esther Salas' family home in North Brunswick,New Jersey . - The suspect is believed to have been dressed as a FedEx delivery driver when they arrived, reports said.
- Salas previously served as a public defender and federal magistrate judge. In 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed her as a district court judge.
- The suspect was found dead Monday with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, ABC reported.
A gunman has shot dead the son of a New Jersey-based federal judge and wounded her husband, multiple reports say.
Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson confirmed to The Associated Press (AP) that Daniel Anderl, the 20-year-old son of US District Court Judge Esther Salas, died after being shot at their family home in North Brunswick, New Jersey on Sunday.
Salas's husband, 63-year-old criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, was also shot.
He underwent surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, and is in stable but critical condition, the New Jersey Globe reported.
Salas was unharmed in the incident, according to both NBC4 New York and the New Jersey Globe.
The suspect is believed to have been dressed as a FedEx delivery driver, the AP reported, citing an unnamed judiciary official. The source added that Salas was in the basement at the time of the shooting.
The New Jersey Globe also reported that the man was dressed as a FedEx driver.
The gunman was found dead in Liberty, New York. He was found in a car with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It is not immediately clear who was the target of the attack.
A law-enforcement source told CNN that the son opened the door with Salas' husband "right behind," and the door opened to a "hail of gunfire" before the suspect fled, CNN reported.
A neighbor said the shooting happened at around 5 p.m., The New York Times reported.
—FBI Newark (@FBINewark) July 20, 2020
The FBI in Newark announced its agents are investigating the shooting, according to the tweet.
NBC4 New York also reported that US Marshals, New Jersey State Police, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General are also investigating.
Salas previously served as a public defender and a federal magistrate judge. In 2010, then-President Barack Obama appointed her as a district court judge, making her the "first Hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey," according to NBC4 New York.
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey offered his condolences to Salas and her family in light of the shooting.
"I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey's federal bench," Menendez said in a statement to The Lakewood Shopper's Shlomo Schorr.
"My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice," he continued.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also tweeted on Sunday night: "Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act."
The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Four days before the shooting, Salas was assigned to the ongoing lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, according to Newsweek. Investors accuse bank executives of making false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies, and failing to monitor "high-risk" customers like Jeffrey Epstein.