Following many gunshots at the Letcher County Courthouse, District Judge Kevin Mullins passed away immediately, according to Kentucky State Police.
Shawn Stines, 43, the sheriff of Letcher County, is accused of one count of first-degree murder.
Police reported that the shooting occurred on Thursday during an argument inside the court; however, they have not yet disclosed a reason.
Mullins, 54, was shot several times on Thursday at the court in Whitesburg, Kentucky, a small rural town located approximately 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Lexington, according to officials. The shootings occurred at around 14:00 local time.
According to Kentucky State Police, Sheriff Stines was apprehended at the site without any problems. They withheld the nature’s identity.
Sheriff Stines reportedly told court staff that he needed to talk with Mullins alone when he entered the judge’s outside office, according to the local newspaper The Mountain Eagle.
With the door shut behind them, the two went into the judge’s chambers. The publication said that people who were outdoors heard gunshots.
According to reports, Sheriff Stines turned himself in to the police and left with his hands raised. In the foyer of the courthouse he was shackled.
Russell Coleman, the state attorney general, declared that his office “will fully investigate and pursue justice” in a post on the previous Twitter platform.
At a press conference, Kentucky State Police spokesman Matt Gayheart stated that the incident had startled the town.
