Federal Judge Esther Salas, whose son was killed and husband was wounded during a shooting attack last month at her home, spoke out for the first time on Monday, revealing her son’s final words.
In a video posted to YouTube, Salas said the suspected gunman who came to her New Jersey home obtained her personal information too easily.
“In my case, the monster knew where I lived and what church we attended and had a complete dossier on me and my family. At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable,” she said. “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.”
The suspect, identified by police as Roy Den Hollander, is also believed to have been involved in the slaying of a men’s rights attorney in California.
Salas, meanwhile, said her son, Daniel, had recently celebrated his 20th birthday.
“As the afternoon progressed, it was time to clean up from the weekend festivities; Daniel and I went downstairs to the basement and we were chatting, as we always do. And 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?'” she said. “And before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs. Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, ‘No!'”
Salas said her husband, Mark Anderl, was shot several times and is recovering in the hospital.
“While my husband is still in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries, we are living every parent’s worst nightmare … making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel,” she remarked. “My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.”
Salas called for a national dialogue to protect the privacy of judges.
“Let me be clear and tell you firsthand—this is a matter of life and death. And we can’t just sit back and wait for another tragedy to strike,” she said.