Trending

Authorities identify deceased attorney as ‘primary suspect’ in fatal shooting at judge’s home

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A gunman dressed as a delivery driver shot and killed U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ son and left her husband critically injured Sunday afternoon at the family’s New Jersey home, officials said.

Here are the latest updates:

Update 5:52 p.m. EDT July 20: Federal authorities have identified Roy Den Hollander as the “primary suspect” in the Sunday shooting of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ husband and son at their home.

Den Hollander, a self-described “anti-feminist” lawyer, was found dead Monday in Sullivan County, New York, about a two-hour drive from Salas’ New Brunswick, New Jersey, home, The Washington Post reported.

Although one official told the Post that Den Hollander appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his cause of death has not been confirmed by authorities. They also have not provided a suspected motive for the shooting.

North Brunswick Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack told ABC News he is unaware of any specific threat against Salas.

Update 2:35 p.m. EDT July 20: U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday sent condolences to Salas’ family and promised to use the Justice Department’s full resources to investigate the deadly shooting.

“Oh behalf of the entire Justice Department, I send my deepest condolences to Judge Salas and her family on the death of their son and wish her husband a swift and complete recovery,” Barr said in a statement released by his spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec.

“This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter.”

Update 1:15 p.m. EDT July 20: Unidentified law enforcement sources told CNN and WNBC that investigators believe the gunman behind Sunday’s deadly shooting has been found dead.

Earlier Monday, unidentified officials told ABC News that an attorney who had a case before Salas in 2015 had been found dead near Liberty, New York, of what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound. The news network reported a FedEx package addressed to the judge was also found in the attorney’s vehicle.

Officials believe the gunman who opened fire Sunday, killing Salas’ 20-year-old son and injuring her husband, had been dressed as a FedEx employee, The Associated Press reported. It was not immediately clear whether the person was working for FedEx.

Update 12:20 p.m. EDT July 20: Unidentified law enforcement officials told ABC News on Monday that the gunman who shot and killed Salas’ 20-year-old son and injured her husband Sunday night has committed suicide.

Officials did not immediately confirm the report.

According to ABC News, the man was an attorney had a case before Salas in 2015. Additional details were not immediately available.

Update 9:20 a.m. EDT July 20: Officials with the U.S. Marshals Service said Monday that they have joined the search for the person who shot and killed Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, and injured her husband, Mark Anderl, Sunday night.

Update 7:45 a.m. EDT July 20: Authorities are still searching for the gunman responsible for killing Salas’ 20-year-old son, college student Daniel Anderl, and her husband, criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, The Associated Press reported early Monday.

Investigators have not released a possible motive or said who they believe was targeted. But North Brunswick resident Marion Costanza, who lives near the family, told The New York Times that Salas previously had voiced concerns that her high-profile cases could put her at risk.

In 2014, Salas sentenced “Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Teresa and Joe Giudice to prison time following their conviction on fraud charges, the AP reported. She also has presided over a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank alleging that the company “made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor ‘high-risk’ customers, including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” according to the AP.

Original report: The husband and son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas were shot around 5 p.m. Sunday in their North Brunswick home by a suspect possibly dressed like a delivery driver, multiple media outlets reported.

Initial reports indicate the couple’s son, 20-year-old Daniel Anderl, has died, and Salas’ husband, Mark Anderl, is in critical but stable condition following surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, the New Jersey Globe reported.

The elder Anderl, 63, is a criminal defense attorney and former assistant Essex County prosecutor.

According to the Globe, the shooter was dressed like a delivery driver, and Salas, who was in the basement at the time of the attack, is unharmed.

Senior law enforcement officials told WNBC that they believe Salas’ husband answered the door and was shot multiple times. The gunman then shot their son, who came running toward his father, before fleeing.

The suspect remains at large, and it is not immediately clear whom the shooter was targeting. The FBI did confirm via Twitter that its Newark office is searching for a single suspect.

Salas has held her current role for nine years after spending five years as a magistrate judge and the nine prior as a federal public defender. She is also the first Hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey, WNBC reported.

The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of the Attorney General are all investigating the shootings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.