U.S. District federal judge Esther Salas has spoken publicly for the first time since her son was shot and killed, and her husband wounded, by a man who showed up at their North Brunswick doorway and opened fire last month.

Roy Den Hollander, who received media attention including appearances on Fox News and Comedy Central for lawsuits challenging what he said were infringements of “men’s rights,” is believed to be the man who attacked Salas' family July 19. She was uninjured in the shooting.

Den Hollander was found dead the next day in Sullivan County, New York. Authorities believe he also shot and killed a fellow attorney in California in the days before the attack at Salas' home, and may have planned other shootings. In the aftermath of his death, media reports recounted his countless pages of anti-feminist, misogynistic, and racist online writings. In them, he called Salas, before whom he had a case, "a lazy and incompetent Latina judge appointed by Obama."

Read More: Lawyer wrote of 'feminarchy,' judge whose son FBI says he killed | https://nj1015.com/lawyer-railed-against-feminarchy-judge-whose-son-fbi-says-he-killed/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

On a video released Monday morning, an emotional Salas recounted the events of the weekend celebration for 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl's birthday with "a few" of his friends from Catholic University of America. She did not say how many attended the party. Salas said she and her husband, Mark Anderl, had let Daniel sleep in the morning of the attack and forego his duties as an usher.

"The weekend was a glorious one. It was filled with love, laughter, and smiles," Salas said.

Daniel Anderl
Daniel Anderl (Sarah J. Lee. Photo provided by Saint Joseph High School)
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In the afternoon, Salas and Daniel Anderl were in the basement cleaning up from the party and talking, she said.

"Daniel said 'Mom, let’s keep talking. I love talking to you, Mom.' It was at that exact moment that the doorbell rang, and Daniel looked at me and said, 'Who is that?' And before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs. Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, 'No!'"

Salas continued: "I later learned that this monster, who had a FedEx package in his hand, opened fire, but Daniel being Daniel, protected his father and he took the shooter’s first bullet directly to the chest. 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 in the right chest, his left abdomen, and the right forearm, according to Salas.

Salas said that Den Hollander, whom she did not name in the video, targeted her and had her address and the location of her church because the personal information of judges can easily be found on the internet or can be purchased.

"My son’s death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those in power to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench," Salas said.

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Salas said she was aware when she took her oath of office that some people would be upset with the decisions she made as a judge.

"But what we cannot accept is when we are forced to live in fear for our lives because personal information, like our home addresses, can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to do us or our families harm," Salas said. "Unfortunately, for my family, the threat was real and the free flow of information from the internet allowed this sick and depraved human being to find all our personal information and target us."

Salas said the shooting has left her and her husband "living every parent’s worst nightmare -- making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel."

Mark Anderl remains hospitalized, Salas said. She did not discuss any further plans for Daniel Aderl's funeral.

She also thanked the first-responders, doctors, staff and leadership a at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital who have cared for Mark Anderl as well as law enforcement that worked on the shooting.

"And to everyone who reached out, and to everyone who said a prayer, and to everyone who is keeping my family in your thoughts -- thank you. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming and I can tell you it has lifted us during our darkest hours," Salas said.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ]

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