Federal Judge speaks out after son killed, husband injured

'Two weeks ago my life as I knew it changed in an instant '

(ABC News) — For the first time a federal Judge whose family was shot by a man suspected of having a grudge against her speaks out for the first time.

Judge Esther Salas has released a nine-minute videotaped statement about last month’s shooting death of her son and the wounding of her husband and is the first time Judge Salas has spoken publicly since the shooting two weeks ago.

In the remarks, Salas said the gunman had targeted 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.”

Salas, holding back tears, begins to detail the harrowing incident.

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!’”

“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.”

The judge then pivots, saying that federal judges’ addresses and other information is readily available on the internet and that there are companies selling personal data that can be “leveraged for nefarious purposes,” she says.

“In my case, this monster knew where I lived and what church we attended and had a complete dossier on me and my family,” said Salas. “At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable.”