A Kentucky sheriff has been arrested after allegedly fatally shooting a district judge in his chambers, according to police reports.
District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was shot multiple times on Thursday afternoon at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
Sheriff Shawn Stines, 43, of Letcher County, has been charged with first-degree murder. The shooting occurred following an argument between the two officials, though police have yet to disclose a specific motive.
The incident took place at approximately 2:00 PM local time. According to local reports from The Mountain Eagle, Sheriff Stines entered Judge Mullins’ chambers after requesting a private meeting.
Witnesses in the courthouse said that gunshots were heard shortly after the two entered the judge’s chambers. Sheriff Stines reportedly emerged from the office with his hands raised and surrendered to police without resistance. He was handcuffed on the scene in the courthouse foyer.
Kentucky State Police spokesman Matt Gayheart expressed the town’s shock during a news conference.
“This community is small in nature, and we’re all shook,” Gayheart said, adding that approximately 50 employees were present in the courthouse at the time of the shooting. No one else was harmed, though a nearby school was briefly placed on lockdown.
The state’s attorney general, Russell Coleman, has promised a thorough investigation, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “We will fully investigate and pursue justice.”
Judge Mullins’ death has prompted an outpouring of grief, with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear expressing his condolences on social media: “There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter also released a statement, expressing his shock and sadness over the “senseless act of violence” that claimed the life of a respected member of the judiciary.
