Federal judge says her son died protecting his father from "madman"
A federal judge from New Jersey is speaking out about the shooting attack at her home last month that left her son dead and her husband seriously wounded. Authorities say a misogynistic lawyer, a man with a history of ranting against women online, came to Judge Esther Salas' door and opened fire, killing her 20-year-old son, who she said sought to protect his father.
In a video statement issued Monday, Salas called for more privacy protections for federal judges in the wake of the July 19 attack at her home in New Brunswick.
She noted that serving as judge involves "making tough calls" that sometimes leave people angry and upset. But she said judges should not have to "live in fear for our lives" because personal information, such as home addresses, can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to to harm them or their families.
Authorities have said Roy Den Hollander, a men's rights lawyer, posed as a FedEx delivery person and fatally shot Daniel Anderl and wounded his 63-year-old father, Mark Anderl.
Investigators said Salas was the "intended target" of the attack, a law enforcement source told CBS News. Den Hollander had spent years pursuing what he called "antifeminist" lawsuits alleging gender discrimination against men.
Salas, who was in another part of the home at the time and was not injured, referred to Den Hollander as "a madman" and a "monster" in her statement.
"Daniel being Daniel, protected his father and he took the shooter's first bullet directly to the chest," Salas said in the video. "The monster then turned his attention to my husband and began to shoot at my husband, one shot after another."
Mark Anderl was shot three times and remains hospitalized. He was hit in the right chest, left abdomen and right forearm, and has undergone several surgeries.
Den Hollander, 72, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 20, the day after the ambush.
Den Hollander has also been named as the suspect in an earlier killing in Southern California. The FBI Newark confirmed it is working with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office and has evidence linking Den Hollander to the fatal shooting of another men's rights attorney, Marc Angelucci. The 52-year-old Angelucci was shot and killed at his Crestline home July 11, CBS Los Angeles reported.
