On Monday morning, August 19, a targeted shooting outside the Hardin County Justice Center in Elizabeth town resulted in the deaths of a mother and daughter.
Elizabethtown resident Erica Riley, 37, passed away instantly at the site, while Janet Riley, 71, of Hardinsburg, passed away a short time later in a hospital. Following the incident, another man sustained injuries; his status is stable.
Riley and her family, including two children, were arriving at the courthouse for an emergency protection order hearing involving Christopher Michael Elder, 46, who has been identified as the suspect, when the shooting took place.
Elder was eventually found in western Kentucky, but he had escaped in a silver automobile marked with spray paint. Elder shot himself after a standoff with police during a chase that ended in a church parking lot in Christian County. In critical condition, he was evacuated to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The Hardin County Justice Center’s parking lot was the scene of the shooting. Several law enforcement agencies were called in, including the Kentucky State Police and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.
As a precaution, government facilities and schools in the area were put on a soft lockdown.
As the Riley family navigates this kind of loss, please keep them in your prayers.
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