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Shooting At Federal Judge's Home Leaves One Dead, One Critically Injured

The judge had reportedly been the target of threats.

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We have some alarmingly tragic news to report from New Jersey, where the son of a federal judge was killed and her husband seriously injured after an unknown gunman arrived at the family’s home disguised as a package delivery driver and started shooting once the front door was opened.

Judge Esther Salas, the first Latina to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey, suffered a terrible loss yesterday when her son, Daniel Anderl, 20, was shot to death. His father, criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, 63, was shot several times and remains in critical condition. Judge Salas was not injured. NBC New York has additional details on the search for the armed assailant:

The FBI, U.S. Marshals, New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General all have personnel on scene investigating, and the FBI tweeted it was looking for “one subject” in the shooting.

Some reports indicated the shooter may have been dressed as some sort of delivery driver. FedEx issued a statement Monday saying only it was fully cooperating with authorities and, “Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time.”

The motive wasn’t immediately clear. Law enforcement officials said one theory was a possible home invasion robbery gone wrong, but stressed all theories were still on the table.

Salas’s son Daniel had plans to follow in his parents’ footsteps and attend law school after graduating from college. In a 2018 interview with New Jersey Monthly, she joked that he had the makings of an attorney. “He’s been arguing with us since he could talk, practicing his advocacy skills,” she said.

Salas, 51, became a federal magistrate in judge in 2006, and a district court judge in 2011. She’s presided over a number of high-profile trials during her time on the bench, from that of former “Real Housewife” Teresa Giudice to that of Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies.

According to the New Jersey Globe, Salas had been the target of threats, but it was not immediately clear who the target of the shooting was. If you have any information to report on this crime, please call the FBI’s Newark office at 1-973-792-3000.

We here at Above the Law would like to extend our sincere condolences to Judge Esther Salas for the loss of her only child, and wish her husband Mark a swift recovery from his injuries. Please keep this family in your thoughts.

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Son of federal judge slain, husband in critical condition [New Jersey Globe]
Son of Federal Judge Killed, Husband Shot at Their New Jersey Home; Motive Unclear [NBC New York]
Fatal Shooting at Judge Salas’ Home [New Jersey Law Journal]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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