Judge Esther Salas, who serves at the federal bank in New Jersey, was not injured.
The son of a federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, was shot and killed, and her husband was shot and wounded in an attack on the family home, according to police sources.
The judge, Esther Salas, was not injured.
Francis “Mac” Womack, the mayor of North Brunswick, New Jersey, tells ABC News that the judge’s son is dead.
The husband’s condition was not immediately known, Middlesex County District Attorney Yolanda Ciccone told ABC News.
The judge’s son opened the door to the family’s home in North Brunswick and was immediately shot, sources said.
“They shot him in the heart,” said Womack. The son was a first-year student at the Catholic University.
The judge’s husband was shot multiple times, according to sources.
A suspect “remains at large,” a law enforcement official said.
Investigators have preliminary information that someone dressed as a FedEx driver arrived at the home around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to multiple police sources.
The mayor said investigators are now “trying to do a lot of hard work on the vehicle” to try to track down the suspect.
“As a judge, I had threats from time to time, but everyone says there was none recently,” said Womack, who is a personal friend of the judge and her husband.
In a statement, the FBI’s Newark office said: “The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at Judge Esther Salas’ home in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey, earlier this afternoon on July 19. We are looking for a subject and we ask someone if they think they may have relevant information to call the FBI Newark at 973-792-3001. We are working closely with our state and local partners and will provide additional updates as they become available. “
The New Jersey State Police, North Brunswick Police and the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office are also involved in the investigation. U.S. sheriffs have been called in to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official.
Judge Salas has received threats in the past, the sources said.
Authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between those previous threats and the shooting, or whether it possibly involved the husband’s work as a criminal defense attorney.
“I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and I am proud to recommend her to President Obama for his nomination for the Federal Bank of New Jersey,” said New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez in a statement. “My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are promptly arrested and brought to justice.”
Salas is the first Latina to serve at the federal bank in New Jersey.
.
