Update: The suspect in the shooting was identified. He is dead, law enforcement officials said.
——Original story below.
The son and husband of a federal judge recently assigned to a case involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were shot in their home Sunday, officials said.
A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas at her family’s house in North Brunswick, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson said.
Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack.
Salas, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, was in the basement at the time and wasn’t injured, according to a judiciary official.
The man who opened fire reportedly posed as a FedEx delivery person and was not in custody. A FedEx spokesman said in a statement to The Epoch Times, “Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time. We are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation.”
The FBI’s Newark Field Office confirmed that the shooting occurred late Sunday.
Agents were searching for one suspect.
Attorney General William Barr offered his condolences to the judge and her family.
“This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter,” he said.
Daniel Anderl, Salas’ son, was studying at Catholic University in Washington. John Garvey, president of the school, said Anderl was a “rising junior” and preparing to start classes in a few weeks.
“He turned 20 last week. We all mourn and grieve this loss to our University community,” Garvey said in a statement.
North Brunswick Mayor Mac Womack called the shootings “senseless,” adding in a statement, “We commit to do all we can to support the family in this time, as well as all law enforcement agencies involved.”
“Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said just before midnight.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said that he knows the judge and her husband well.
“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 added.
Epstein Case
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges when he was found unconscious in his jail cell last year. Epstein was soon declared dead; according to the New York City Medical Examiner’s office, the manner of death was suicide.
Salas was recently assigned a case against Deutsche Bank involving Epstein.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all those who purchased Deutsche Bank securities between Nov. 7, 2017 and July 6, 2020.
According to Faruqi & Faruqi LLP, whose lawyers are representing the clients, the lawsuit focuses on whether Deutsche Bank and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose a number of issues, including whether it failed to remediate deficiencies related to internal procedures.
That possible failure may have led to the bank failing to properly monitor customers it deemed high-risk, including Epstein.
Deutsche Bank settled with the New York State Department of Financial Services earlier this month on charges over its dealings with Epstein.
Agreeing to pay $150 million, the bank also issued a statement saying it made a “critical mistake” taking Epstein on as a client.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
