Elizabethtown, KY — A shooting near a Kentucky courthouse on Monday morning left two women dead, including the suspect’s girlfriend, in what police described as an “ambush-type” attack. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. ET in a parking lot across the street from the Hardin County Justice Center, where the victims were set to attend a hearing on an emergency protective order.
The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Christopher Elder, allegedly shot three people before fleeing the scene. His girlfriend, 37-year-old Erica Riley of Elizabethtown, was pronounced dead at the scene, while her mother, 71-year-old Janet Rylee of Hardinsburg, succumbed to her injuries later at a hospital.
Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson stated that Elder was involved in a standoff with police after the shooting, during which he shot himself. His condition remains unknown.
The case is under active investigation, with authorities working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
