After her son died and her husband got wounded in a shooting that happened last month, Judge Esther Salas released, for the first time since the shooting, a nine-minute video statement tackling what happened.
According to her, Salas said that the man who was shooting was targeting her because of her position as a federal judge.
“Two weeks ago, my life as I knew it changed in an instant, and my family will never be the same,” Salas began. “A madman, who I believe was targeting me because of my position as a federal judge, came to my house.”
The judge added that her family had just finished celebrating her son's 20th birthday who asked her to host a party for his Catholic University of America friends.
“Daniel and I went downstairs to the basement and we were chatting, as we always do. And Daniel said “Mom, let’s keep talking, I love talking to you, Mom”. It was at that exact moment that the doorbell rang, and Daniel looked at me and said, ‘Who is that?’ And before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs. Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, ‘No!’”
Esther said that her son tried to protect his father and took the first bullet in his chest. The shooter, identified as Roy Den Hollander, targeted the husband and shot him three times, one bullet entering his right chest, the other his left abdomen, and the last one in the right forearm.
“We are living every parent’s worst nightmare -- making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel,” Salas continued. “My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure.”
