Vigil held for Hardin County shooting victims as domestic violence advocates push for change

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two days after a woman and her mother were killed in the parking lot of the Hardin County Justice Center, hundreds gathered for a vigil to pay their respects and advocate for domestic violence survivors. 

Monday morning, 37-year-old Erica Riley of Elizabethtown, went to court with her two kids and parents to have an emergency protective order (EPO) extended.

The EPO filed on behalf of Erica Riley was against 46-year-old Christopher Elder.

Witnesses told police they saw Elder circling the courthouse Monday morning until the victims arrived. That's when he opened fire, killing 37-year-old Erica Riley, who died at the scene. 

Her mother, 71-year-old Janet Riley, of Hardinsburg, was hospitalized after the shooting but died from her injuries. Erica Riley's father was also shot. At last report, he was hospitalized and in stable condition.

SpringHaven Inc., assists survivors of domestic violence in the Hardin County area, and organized the vigil.

Several dozens of people showed up to share their stories of domestic violence and advocate for change in the legal system to protect victims.

Friends and family of the Riley's also attended, paying their respects to their loved ones.

For Melissa Gaddie, Erica Riley was a friend she could always count on to be smiling.

When word spread that a shooting happened at the Justice Center, and Elder may be involved, Gaddie hoped it did not involve her friend.

"I texted my best friend to see if she had talk to Erica, and she said, 'no, but surely it's not her,'" Gaddie said.

Once she learned Erica Riley was the victim, Gaddie was crushed.

"This is awful, I've been sick for days," Gaddie said at Wednesday's vigil. "This shouldn't have happened here."

According to court documents, Riley filed for an EPO against Elder on Aug. 8 describing a physical altercation between the two in July.

Riley said in the EPO that her children were in their bedroom during this altercation. She also wrote that Elder had threatened and abused her with "mental and physical violence" for the past year and-a-half.

Criminal records show Elder has a history of domestic violence cases. Records show a woman in Breckenridge County took out an EPO against Elder in 2008. Two years before that, he was convicted of fourth degree assault, a domestic violence charge with minor injury out of Louisville.

After Monday's shooting in Elizabethtown, Elder was found in Western Kentucky. 

After a standoff with police, Elder turned the gun and shot himself. He died late Monday evening.

The question, if EPOs are effective, has been raised following Monday's shooting.

"EPOs can be very effective because they do, you know, they place very strict guidelines on, you know, you can't, can't have any communication with this person. You can have to stay so far from them. And so what it does is it allows the victim that if that person violates that EPO, call the police and they get arrested immediately... but they're not the end all, it doesn't provide a protective shield around you," said Elizabeth Martin, president and chief empowerment officer at the Center for Women and Families. "The most effective mode of keeping people safe is safety planning, and that's what we do here at the Center."

Martin said safety planning before a court hearing, which is public knowledge, includes making sure you are aware of your surroundings.

Martin said having being dropped-off at court and close to the door is valuable as it will prevent a victim's exposure in an open area. She also said victims can call ahead and ask for a safety escort from law enforcement to their car and the building.

While Monday's events may discourage someone from filing for an EPO, Martin said its important to start a paper trail.

"It's (an EPO) not a protective bubble around somebody, but it does start a paper trail," Martin said. "It does create that ability for that person to be arrested immediately if and when they violate it."

Martin said Monday's situation has sparked conversation about possibly moving high-risk domestic violence court hearings to virtual.

"We did it very successfully during COVID. So let's, let's take a look at that and go back to that, if there's no other way to keep people safe as they're walking into court," said Martin.

Another option for victims of domestic violence is a Domestic Violence Order (DVO), which is in place for three years.

"And part of that order would be a requirement not to have firearms, not to have contact with the victim, not to build, harass or communicate with them," said Kentucky State Sen. David Yates (D- Louisville).

Yates said often, the requirement to remove firearms from a person, is not followed up on.

"So what we've seen in practice a lot of times, you'll say somebody will have an emergency protective order against them, they'll go over the hearing, and the judge will enter the domestic violence order, and they'll tell them they're to surrender their firearms, not to have them in possession, but there's not a big check in place," Yates said.

That is why Yates is advocating for a Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention law in Kentucky.

CARR could allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from a gunowner if family or friends have provided reason, and evidence that the person has threatened themselves or others. That person would have the option to forfeit their guns or refuse and be entitled to a hearing in front of a judge.

"I'm a gun owner. I respect the second amendment. At the same time, I've always got to be able to balance your rights and the right of someone to be safe in their home, the right of a victim to be safe against a criminal or perpetrator. In this situation, it would have been another tool for law enforcement," Yates said. 

Yates added CARR addresses people's mental health.

"If we really want to make sure that we lower gun violence, if we really want to make sure we protect victims and we help people who are in the mental health crisis, then you got to do something more," Yates said. "It (CARR) is focused on making sure that you put the person in a position where they can have responsibility and have those guns back, but at the same time address whatever mental health crisis situation they're in."

Kentucky lawmakers didn't take action this year on CARR bill, sponsored with bipartisan support from Yates and Kentucky State Sen. Whitney Westerfield (R-Hopkinsville).

Introduced in January, the bipartisan Senate Bill 13 failed to advance after it was assigned to the Senate's Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee in March. 

Some lawmakers were vocal about the bill before it was filed and once it was introduced. Among the most outspoken was Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, who posted on X that it was an "ABSOLUTE DISGRACE" that SB 13 got a committee assignment on the anniversary of the General Assembly approving a concealed carry bill.

Yates said it is his intention to propose and file a CARR bill this next legislative session.

The Center for Women and Families' emergency hotline is 1-844-237-2331. The 24-hour hotline provides crisis response, emergency shelter, sexual assault services and more. For information from the Center for Women and Families on how to file a protective order, click here.

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