U.S.
Gunman Kills New Jersey Judge Esther Salas’ Son in Their Home, Injures Husband
Published
2 years agoon

- A gunman reportedly dressed as a FedEx Employee fatally shot U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ son and injured her husband in their New Jersey home Sunday. Salas was home in the basement at the time but was unharmed.
- Investigators searched for the shooter late Sunday and early Monday and later said a potential suspect in the case was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- Salas has received threats in the past and has worked on several high profile cases, including one involving a Real Housewife and others related to big New Jersey gangs. Just last week, she was assigned to a Jeffrey Epstein-related lawsuit against Deutsche Bank.
- Authorities have not yet identified a motive, however, reports say the suspect was an attorney and self-described anti-feminist who brought a case before Judge Salas in 2015.
Shooting at Judge’s Home
After the son of a federal judge in New Jersey was shot and killed Sunday, authorities believe they may have identified a suspect in the shooting, who was also found dead.
A gunman appeared at U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ house in North Brunswick, allegedly dressed as a FedEx delivery person. Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel, opened the door with his father, Mark Anderl behind him. The gunman then shot both of them, killing Daniel and injuring Mark. He fled the scene and the Newark division of the FBI said a search was underway Sunday evening.
On Monday morning, officials said a potential suspect tied to the case was found dead. According to NBC News in New York, officials found that an attorney believed to be the shooter in the case had died of a self-inflicted gun wound in the Catskills. Authorities are investigating whether or not a package addressed to Judge Salas is tied to this attorney.
That attorney was later identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-described anti-feminist. He brought a case before Judge Salas in 2015.
Judge Salas’ High Profile Cases
Salas was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010 and was confirmed in 2011, making her New Jersey’s first Hispanic woman to serve as a U.S. District Judge. Since serving in this role, she has handled several high-profile cases, including one involving Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe. She sentenced them both to staggered sentences on fraud charges.
She also handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, which were in connection to a long-running drug trafficking network. In 2016 she sentenced a leader of the Grape Street Crips to 14 years in prison. She also sentenced a leader of the South Side Cartel, which has been described as one of the most violent gangs in Newark, to 45 years in prison.
Just last week, she was assigned to a lawsuit filed against Deutsche Bank by numerous investors. The lawsuit alleges that the bank “made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Bank’s business, operational and compliance policies.”
It also claims that the bank failed to properly monitor high risk customers, including Jeffrey Epstein.
Authorities have not identified a motive in this case, and are still looking into whether or not Salas herself may have been the target. According to ABC News, she has received threats in the past. Investigators are looking into whether or not those threats are tied to the shooting.
Responses
“As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any,” North Brunswick Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack told ABC.
Leaders in New Jersey responded to the news by sending condolences to Salas and her family. Governor Phil Murphy called the shooting a “senseless act.”
Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act. https://t.co/3mOYBSd6TA
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 20, 2020
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez said he hopes those responsible for this are “swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”
I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to NJ’s federal bench.
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) July 20, 2020
My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. https://t.co/bUko4WLNJW
See what others are saying: (NBC News) (ABC News) (Associated Press)
Update: This article was edited to include updated information about the suspect’s identity.
U.S.
Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Published
5 days agoon
June 28, 2022
While critics accused the muppet of promoting propaganda, CDC data shows the shots are safe and effective.
Elmo Gets Vaccinated
Conservative politicians expressed outrage on Twitter after the beloved “Sesame Street” character Elmo revealed he got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently cleared the way for children between the ages of six months and five years to get vaccinated against the virus. The famous red muppet is three years old, making him finally eligible for the jab.
In a video shared by “Sesame Street,” Elmo said that he felt “a little pinch, but it was okay.”
Elmo’s father, Louie, then addressed parents who might be apprehensive about vaccinating their own kids.
It's okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children! Elmo's dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy! #CaringForEachOther pic.twitter.com/aWkCfysJPE
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 28, 2022
“I had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the COVID vaccine,” he said to the camera. “Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice.”
“I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors, and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love,” he continued.
Republicans Criticize “Sesame Street”
While some praised the video for raising awareness and addressing the concerns parents may have, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) quickly lambasted the effort.
Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions!
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 28, 2022
You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5.
But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this. Learn more:https://t.co/Ss20TmFTSB https://t.co/tr67QyfRyC
“Thanks, Sesame Street for saying parents are allowed to have questions,” Cruz tweeted. “You then have Elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this.”
Despite Cruz’s claim, the CDC has provided ample resources with information on vaccines for children.
He was not alone in criticizing the video. Harmeet Dhillon, a committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California, suggested that Elmo would be taking puberty blockers next.
Next episode: Elmo takes puberty blockers! Yay! https://t.co/A4em0ZlC8d
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 28, 2022
Other anti-vaxxers claimed Elmo would get myocarditis and accused “Sesame Street” of promoting propaganda.
M is for Myocarditis. https://t.co/2yGWljhv1L
— Lisa Boothe 🇺🇸 (@LisaMarieBoothe) June 28, 2022
They have Elmo pushing experimental emergency authorized mRNA drugs on infants and toddlers for a virus that is not remotely a material threat to them. Absolute monsters. https://t.co/P3hFsamSpJ
— Jason D. Meister 🇺🇸 (@jason_meister) June 28, 2022
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be both safe and effective against transmission of the virus, but this is not the first time conservatives have turned their anger against a friendly-looking muppet who opted to get the jab. When Big Bird got vaccinated in November, Cruz and other right-wing figures accused the show of brainwashing kids.
Big Bird’s choice to get vaccinated was not a shocker though, clips dating back to 1972 show him getting immunized against the measles.
See what others are saying: (CNN) (The Hill) (Market Watch)
U.S.
Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council
Published
1 week agoon
June 23, 2022By
Chris Tolve
If Pete Arredondo fails to attend two more consecutive city council meetings, then he may be voted out of office.
Police Chief Faces Public Fury
Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was placed on administrative leave Wednesday following revelations that he and his officers did not engage the shooter at Robb Elementary for over an hour despite having adequate weaponry and protection.
Superintendent Hal Harrell, who made the announcement, did not specify whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
Harrell said in a statement that the school district would have waited for an investigation to conclude before making any personnel decisions, but chose to order the administrative leave because it is uncertain how long the investigation will take.
Lieutenant Mike Hernandez, the second in command at the police department, will assume Arredondo’s duties.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune earlier this month, Arredondo said he did not consider himself in charge during the shooting, but law enforcement records reviewed by the outlet indicate that he gave orders at the scene.
Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told state senators on Tuesday that some officers wanted to enter the classrooms harboring the shooter but were stopped by their superiors.
He said officer Ruben Ruiz tried to move forward into the hallway after receiving a call from his wife Eva Mireles, a teacher inside one of the classrooms, telling him she had been shot and was bleeding to death.
Ruiz was detained, had his gun taken away, and was escorted off the scene, according to McCraw. Mireles later died of her wounds.
Calls for Arredondo to resign or be fired have persisted.
Emotions Erupt at City Council
Wednesday’s announcement came one day after the Uvalde City Council held a special meeting in which community members and relatives of victims voiced their anger and demanded accountability.
“Who are you protecting?” Asked Jasmine Cazares, sister of Jackie Cazares, a nine-year-old student who was shot. “Not my sister. The parents? No. You’re too busy putting them in handcuffs.”
Much of the anger was directed toward Arredondo, who was not present at the meeting but was elected to the city council on May 7, just over two weeks before the massacre.
“We are having to beg ya’ll to do something to get this man out of our faces,” said the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old victim. “We can’t see that gunman. That gunman got off easy. We can’t take our frustrations out on that gunman. He’s dead. He’s gone. … Ya’ll need to put yourselves in our shoes, and don’t say that none of ya’ll have, because I guarantee you if any of ya’ll were in our shoes, ya’ll would have been pulling every string that ya’ll have to get this man off the council.”
One woman demanded the council refuse to grant Arredondo the leave of absence he had requested, pointing out that if he fails to attend three consecutive meetings the council can vote him out for abandoning his office.
“What you can do right now is not give him, if he requests it, a leave of absence,” she said. “Don’t give him an out. We don’t want him. We want him out.”
After hearing from the residents, the council voted unanimously not to approve the leave of absence.
On Tuesday, Uvalde’s mayor announced that Robb Elementary is set to be demolished, saying no students or teachers should have to return to it after what happened.
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.
U.S.
Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 21, 2022By
Chris Tolve
New footage shows officers prepared to engage the shooter one hour before they entered the classroom.
Seventy-Seven Deadly Minutes
Nearly a month after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers, evidence has emerged indicating that police were prepared to engage the shooter within minutes of arriving, but chose to wait over an hour.
The shooting at Robb Elementary began at 11:33 a.m., and within three minutes 11 officers are believed to have entered the school, according to surveillance and body camera footage obtained by KVUE and the Austin American Statesman.
District Police Chief Pete Arredondo reportedly called a landline at the police department at 11:40 a.m. for help.
“It’s an emergency right now,” he said. “We have him in the room. He’s got an AR-15. He’s shot a lot… They need to be outside the building prepared because we don’t have firepower right now. It’s all pistols.”
At 11:52 a.m., however, the footage shows multiple officers inside the school armed with at least two rifles and one ballistic shield.
Law enforcement did not enter the adjoined classrooms to engage the shooter until almost an hour later, at 12:50 p.m. During that time, one officer’s daughter was inside the classrooms and another’s wife, a teacher, reportedly called him to say she was bleeding to death.
Thirty minutes before law enforcement entered the classrooms, the footage shows officers had four ballistic shields in the hallway.
Frustrated Cops Want to Go Inside
Some of the officers felt agitated because they were not allowed to enter the classrooms.
One special agent at the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived about 20 minutes after the shooting started, then immediately asked, “Are there still kids in the classrooms?”
“It is unknown at this time,” another officer replied.
“Ya’ll don’t know if there’s kids in there?” The agent shot back. “If there’s kids in there we need to go in there.”
“Whoever is in charge will determine that,” the other officer responded.
According to an earlier account by Arredondo, he and the other officers tried to open the doors to the classrooms, but found them both locked and waited for a master key to arrive. But surveillance footage suggests that they never tried to open the doors, which a top Texas official has confirmed were never actually locked.
One officer has told reporters that within minutes of the police response, there was a Halligan bar, which firefighters use to break down locked doors, on-site, but it was never used.
At a special State Senate committee hearing Monday, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw called the police response an “abject failure” and “antithetical to everything we’ve learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre.”
“The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from (entering rooms) 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,” he said. “The officers have weapons, the children had none.”
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.

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