A federal judge whose son was killed during an attack at their New Jersey home told “60 Minutes” that the gunman had also targeted U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas told the CBS news magazine in an interview that will air Sunday that authorities found a locker used by her son’s killer, Roy Den Hollander, who also injured Salas’ husband in the July 19, 2020, attack in North Brunswick, CBS News reported.
Hollander, a lawyer who had a case before Salas, killed her 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, before killing himself, The Washington Post reported.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas says the FBI found evidence that the man who killed her son also targeted Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Bill Whitaker reports, Sunday. https://t.co/RZn8X3QjEK pic.twitter.com/kBuQPvzR1i
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 19, 2021
“They found another gun, a Glock, more ammunition,” Salas told “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker during the interview. “But the most troubling thing they found was a manila folder with a work-up on Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
“Who knows what could have happened? But we need to understand that judges are at risk. That we put ourselves in great danger every day for doing our jobs.”
Supreme Court spokesperson Kathleen Arberg told the Post that, “the justice will have no comment” on the report, and would not discuss whether security for the justices has been increased.
“We don’t discuss security as a matter of court policy,” Arberg told the newspaper.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas says the FBI found evidence the man who killed her son targeted Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. @60Minutes reports, Sunday. https://t.co/77YYHVZVM0
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 19, 2021
Sotomayor, 66, was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2009 by President Barack Obama. She is the first -- and only -- Hispanic to serve as a justice on the nation’s highest court.
According to CBS News, the “60 Minutes” report said that threats to federal judges -- including hate mail, phone harassment, protests at their homes and threats of violence -- have risen 400% over the past five years.
The U.S. Marshals, who protect federal judges, are seeking 1,000 more officers for $250 million, CBS News reported. Salas is supporting a bill that would erase personal information about judges from the internet and upgrade their home security systems, according to the Post.
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