A tragic incident occurred early Monday outside the Hardin County Courthouse in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, when a man shot and killed three people, leaving two dead and one injured. The suspect, Christopher Elder, is now in critical condition after shooting himself in the head during a police chase, according to reports WDRB.

Here's a look at the scene where 3 people were shot outside the Hardin County Courthouse in Elizabethtown Monday morning: https://t.co/C7AZkn1Z6V pic.twitter.com/G8ZM9iQP25

— WLKY (@WLKY) August 19, 2024

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Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson provided details during a Monday afternoon briefing, revealing that law enforcement tracked Elder using Flock cameras as he fled west of Kentucky after the shooting. The incident happened around 9 a.m., just before Elder attended a hearing related to an Emergency Protection Order (EPO).

Elder's shooting claimed the lives of Erica Riley, 37, who was reportedly dating Elder, and her mother, Janet Riley, 71. Erica died at the scene, while Janet succumbed to her injuries after being hospitalized. A third victim, a man whose identity has not been released, remains in stable condition.

Authorities from several law enforcement agencies, including the Hopkinsville Police Department, the Christian County Sheriff's Office, the Muhlenberg County Sheriff's Office and the Kentucky State Police, collected work on monitoring Elder's movements. According to a post on the Hopkinsville Police Department's Facebook page, Elder pointed a rifle several times at pursuing officers before taking refuge in the church parking lot. There, he alternated between pointing the gun at himself and the officers.

Negotiators from the Christian County Sheriff's Office and Hopkinsville police spent about 90 minutes trying to de-escalate the situation. Despite his efforts, Elder shot himself in the head. He was later taken to Vanderbilt Hospital in Tennessee, where he remains in critical condition.

Chief Thompson confirmed that two juveniles involved in the case were present during the shooting, but were not injured. The community is recovering from the violence, and local and state leaders are expressing their condolences.

State Sen. Matt Deneen, R-Elizabethtown, said: “My deepest prayers go out to the surviving family members of the victims involved in this morning's tragic shooting at the Hardin County Justice Center. This senseless act was perpetrated by a single individual, but thanks to the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies, he was finally apprehended. I sincerely thank our law enforcement professionals for their responsiveness and dedication to handling this situation emerging”.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also commented, urging the community to join him and his wife, Britain, in prayer and expressing gratitude to first responders.

The investigation into this horrific event is being led by Kentucky State Police Post 2.

This piece was written by the LifeZette News Staff on August 19, 2024. It originally appeared on LifeZette and used with permission.

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