Reactions of the public after shooting in Elizabethtown with two dead and one injured

HARDIN CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — Two people are dead in Elizabethtown after a man opened fire in a parking lot outside the Hardin County Justice Center. Witnesses identified 46-year-old Christopher Elder as the shooter.

“It was really pretty wild,” said Daniel O'Dell, who visited the scene after the events. “My wife called me and told me there was a shooting right next to the courthouse. My first thought was to call my friends here at Icon Engineering and make sure they were OK.”

“We were on the scene within a minute and found three victims,” ​​said Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson. “While we were there, the suspect fled the scene.”

Elder's girlfriend, 37-year-old Erica Riley, was killed at the scene. Her mother, 71-year-old Janet Riley, later died of her injuries. The third victim of the shooting is stable. There were also two juveniles at the scene.

“This was a domestic violence incident,” Thompson said. “There was a hearing at the courthouse this morning regarding previous incidents, and we believe it was just the individuals involved.”

A person familiar with Erica said Elder waited in the back of the parking lot before ambushing the group.

“This is certainly a rare event,” Thompson added. “In the whole of 2023, we had three murders.”

Police pursued Elder into western Kentucky. According to Hopkinsville police, they negotiated for about 90 minutes before Elder attempted suicide. He is in critical condition.