He was charged with one count of murder in the first degree.
Grayson Kilroy, 13, (L) walks with his grandfather Ken Kilroy, 70, among American flags displayed to commemorate lives lost in the 9/11 terror attack, on September 10, 2021 at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. The display includes 2,977 national flags flying on the university’s front lawn facing the Pacific Ocean with one US flag for each American victim and a national flag for every lost life of a foreign national. Robyn Beck / AFP
A county sheriff was charged with murder Thursday after he allegedly shot and killed a district court judge in the southern US state of Kentucky.
Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was taken into custody in connection with a shooting at the Letcher County courthouse, the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper reported.
He was charged with one count of murder in the first degree, according to CBS News.
A spokesman for police told the outlet the shooting occurred after an argument between Stines and judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in the latter’s office.
Investigators have not yet announced a motive.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the shooting in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon,” Beshear said.
“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
Gun violence is common in the United States, a country where there are more firearms than people.
Earlier this month, a man shot and injured five people on a Kentucky highway. The gunman’s body was found Wednesday after a 10-day manhunt.
Despite polls showing Americans favour more gun restrictions, a powerful gun rights lobby, constitutional protections and a passionate culture around firearm ownership mean that attempts to clamp down on gun rights are always met with stiff political resistance.
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