Suspect in killing of New Jersey federal judge's son was an 'anti-feminist' lawyer

The FBI on Monday said Roy Den Hollander, a self-proclaimed "anti-feminist" lawyer, is the primary suspect in Sunday evening's shooting in North Brunswick, New Jersey, which left a federal judge's son dead and husband seriously injured.

Den Hollander, 69, is believed to have approached the home of Judge Esther Salas wearing a FedEx uniform before shooting her son, Daniel Anderl, 20, in the heart. Salas' husband, Mark Anderl, was also shot several times, and is hospitalized in stable condition. The judge was in her basement during the attack, and was not hurt. Den Hollander's body was found on Monday near Liberty, New York, and authorities said it appears he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In 2018, Den Hollander argued a case before Salas, representing a mother and daughter who claimed the draft is unconstitutional because women are not allowed to register for it. Salas let the case proceed, but last year, Den Hollander asked another lawyer to take over for him because he had terminal cancer. In a self-published book, Den Hollander insulted Salas, calling her a "lazy and incompetent Latina judge appointed by Obama."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Den Hollander filed lawsuits to try to stop nightclubs from holding "ladies' nights," arguing this violated the 14th Amendment, and end women's studies programs at colleges. He also referred to the Violence Against Women Act as the "Female Fraud Act." In 2008, Den Hollander told The New York Times his anger against feminists stemmed from a bad divorce.

One law enforcement official told the Times that investigators are looking into whether Den Hollander, because of his terminal cancer diagnosis, decided to "take out" his perceived enemies before dying. A spokesman for New York State's chief judge, Janet DiFiore, told the Times the FBI called her on Monday and said Den Hollander had her name and photo in his car, but it is not clear if he planned on targeting her as well.