Elizabethtown officials called a special emergency response team to Elizabethtown Square around 9:00 p.m. Sunday, April 7, in response to a gunshot heard in a South Market Street apartment around 8:00 p.m. The standoff between the gunman and local authorities ended peacefully at 11:10 p.m. when Elizabethtown resident Kirk J. Goldinger, 53, walked out of the apartment complex, surrendering his weapon.
Before arriving to the scene, the Borough police briefly spoke with Goldinger on the phone before he hung up and refused further communication with local authorities.
Once present, police immediately evacuated all residents of the apartment building. S. Market Street was closed off due to the three-hour standoff, as were the streets surrounding the apartment.
After being taken into custody, Goldinger was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Thus far, He has been charged with making terroristic threats to neighbors during an incident that began at 2:00 p.m. on April 7. However, additional charges may arise as the investigation continues.
Although the standoff took place near Elizabethtown College’s campus and the housing of off-campus students, the College was not required to send out an EC Alert because the incident did not occur on campus. The Clery Act, followed by the College, only requires administrators to release safety alert notices when incidents of this nature occur in direct relation to the campus.