Gunman kills son of judge overseeing Deutsche Bank

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

A gunman posing as a FedEx driver shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge in North Brunswick, N.J., on Sunday, and badly wounded her husband.

The judge in question is Esther Salas. Earlier in the week, she was assigned to oversee a lawsuit brought by investors against Deutsche Bank over its involvement in the handling of financial matters related to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.

The motive for the shooting is unclear. On Sunday evening, federal law enforcement asked for the public’s help in solving the crime.

The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Ester Salas in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey earlier this evening, July 19. We're looking for one subject & ask that anyone who thinks they may have relevant information call us at 1-973-792-3001.
— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) July 20, 2020

On Monday afternoon, multiple news reports cited police sources suggesting a deceased lawyer is a prime suspect in the case. The lawyer—who allegedly was a men’s rights activist with a case before the judge—was reportedly found dead hours after the shooting, and was in the possession of a package addressed to the judge.

In the lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, investors claim they lost money as a result of the financial giant having to pay regulators $150 million for compliance failures related to Epstein. The disgraced financier was arrested for the sex trafficking of minors in 2019. He died in a Manhattan jail cell last August in an apparent suicide.

According to ABC News, the attack on Salas’s family occurred when her son, Daniel Anderl, or husband, Mark Anderl, opened the door to what appeared to be a FedEx deliveryman. Her son, a student at Catholic University, was shot through the heart; Salas’s husband is in the hospital.

Some have speculated on Twitter that the attack may not be related to Judge Salas’s involvement in the Epstein case, but rather to her husband’s work as a criminal defense attorney.

This story was updated at 1:40 p.m. ET to note reports of the deceased lawyer suspect.