Judge Urges Senate To Pass New Security Funding After Son Killed By Gunman

A federal judge whose son was killed and husband shot during an attack at her home last year has issued renewed calls for the Senate to pass a bill boosting judicial security.

U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas told “60 Minutes”  on Sunday that public servants on the federal judiciary were increasingly in danger amid a 400% surge in threats over the last five years.

Salas’ son, Daniel, was shot and killed by Roy Den Hollander, a self-described “anti-feminist” lawyer who was aggrieved after a case that was presented before the judge. Hollander showed up to her home on July 19, disguised as a FedEx delivery driver, and opened fire on Daniel Anderl as he opened the door and later on Salas’ husband, Mark Anderl.

Mark Anderl was shot three times but survived the attack. He is still recovering after multiple surgeries.

Hollander was found dead the next day from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The FBI later told Salas the attack was meant for her.

The House narrowly passed a $1.9 billion security funding bill earlier this month related to costs linked to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The bill includes more than $157 million for judicial security, including funding to address security threats faced by federal judges and an additional $25 million for increased staffing at the U.S. Marshals Service. The last judicial security upgrade was 15 years ago, according to CBS.

U.S. Marshals now provide 24/7 security for Salas following the attack.

The bill, which is expected to be taken up by the Senate, would also remove judges’ personal data from the internet, including home addresses and property tax records. Salas said Hollander was able to access a bevy of information about her using such methods.

“He knew obviously where I lived. He knew my routes to work. He knew the church we attended. He had Daniel’s school. He knew baseball games. Just a complete work-up on me and my family,” she told “60 Minutes.” “All open sources.”

She added that federal investigators also found details about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, including the name of a restaurant she frequents and lists of her friends.

“Who knows what could have happened? But we need to understand that judges are at risk,” Salas said. “We need to understand that we put ourselves in great danger every day for doing our jobs. This fact has to wake us up.”