Suspect in Elizabethtown courthouse shooting dies in hospital

ELIZABETHTOWN, Kentucky – The man accused of shooting three people outside the Elizabethtown courthouse on Monday has died in hospital, police said.

Christopher Elder, 46, shot himself after a 90-minute standoff with police hours after the fatal shooting that left two people dead. He was flown by helicopter to a Tennessee hospital, where he died of his injuries Monday, Elizabethtown police said.

Police identified the victims as Elder's girlfriend, 37-year-old Erica Riley, and her mother, 71-year-old Janey Riley. A third person is still hospitalized but in stable condition. His identity has not been released.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support the Riley family. Click here for more information.

Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson said during a press conference on Monday that it was a targeted attack.

According to court records, Elder was scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. for a hearing on a temporary restraining order in a domestic violence case.

“It's terribly tragic,” said Chief Thompson. “It underscores the importance of what the family court has to go through. There are always emotions involved. It only takes one incident like this to understand how volatile it can be.”

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