Officials say that three family members were shot and killed near a courthouse in Kentucky on Monday before going to a hearing on an emergency protective order.
Police in Elizabethtown say that the suspect, who was dating one of the victims, ran away from the scene of the crime and shot himself while they were negotiating with the suspect.
Just before 9 a.m., the killing happened in a parking lot across the street from the Hardin County Justice Center.
Stephen Thompson, the chief of police in Elizabethtown, said that three people were shot in an “ambush-type” attack. Christopher Elder, 46, was recognized as the suspect. He drove away from the scene of the crime.
Richard Riley, 37, of Elizabethtown, was the suspect’s girlfriend. She was declared dead at the scene, according to police. Janet Rylee, her mother, was also shot and killed at a hospital. She was 71 years old and from Hardinsburg.
Police say a third person, a man connected to the victims, was also shot and is still in stable condition. His name has not been made public.
Thompson said that two children who belonged to one of the victims were also at the scene but were not hurt. No other information about the minors was given out.
Authorities say Elder shot himself during a fight with police in western Kentucky after they were chasing his car. Police say he is still in serious condition at the hospital.
Police said the killing was a one-off domestic dispute. Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory says it happened before a meeting on an emergency protective order that the people involved were going to.
Police said the probe is still going on as reported by ABC News.
