The son of a New Jersey federal judge shot dead by a deranged defense attorney has been laid to rest more than two months after the slaying.
Mourners gathered Sunday at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Kendall Park to remember Daniel Anderl, who was killed by Ron Den Hollander on July 19 at the family’s home in North Brunswick in a shooting that also left his father wounded.
“A lifelong Catholic and the only child of US District Judge Esther Salas and defense attorney Mark Anderl, Daniel Anderl gave his life to protect his mother and father, taking the shooter’s first bullet directly to the chest when a man holding a package on their front doorstep opened fire,” the Diocese of Metuchen said in a statement.
Mourners at Daniel Anderl’s funeral included New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and US Sen. Bob Menendez.


The church observed social distancing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many mourners watching the funeral service via livestream from a tent that was set up outside the church, according to ABC New York.
“All of us here remember when we heard of the horrific news of Danny’s death and how he died,” said the Rev. Robert Lynam, St. Augustine pastor. “Jesus said, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Danny did that.”
“There is no question in my mind, from Mark’s testimony to me, that Daniel offered his life for his father and his mother,” Lynam said.
District Judge Esther SalasAxel Dupeux/ReduxAuthorities said Den Hollander, 72, a self-described “anti-feminist” defense lawyer, posed as a FedEx driver when he arrived at the judge’s home — shooting Daniel Anderl and wounding his father before driving off and taking his own life.
Den Hollander, who had been sick with cancer, was found in his car in upstate New York dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He reportedly kept a list of more than a dozen other targets, including at least three other judges.
Daniel Anderl was gunned down a day after his 20th birthday. Salas was in the basement at the time of the shooting and was not injured.
Last month, Salas called for better protections for federal judges — with new legislation introduced Monday that would shield their personal information, CBS New York reported.
“My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure,” Salas said in August. “And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.”



