A county sheriff in Kentucky has been arrested following the fatal shooting of a district court judge on Thursday. Letcher County Sheriff, Mickey Stines, was taken into custody in connection with the incident, which took place at the Letcher County courthouse, according to local reports.
The Louisville Courier Journal reported that Stines is accused of shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins in his office. Local news station WKYT also confirmed the arrest, adding that the shooting occurred in Mullins’ chambers.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed the tragedy on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming the judge’s death.
“Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon,” Beshear wrote. “There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray for a path to a better tomorrow.”
Gun violence remains a pervasive issue in the United States, where firearms outnumber the population. Just earlier this month, a man opened fire on a Kentucky highway, injuring five people. The gunman’s body was found on Wednesday after a 10-day manhunt.
Despite widespread public support for stricter gun control measures in the US, attempts to tighten regulations face significant opposition. A powerful gun rights lobby, coupled with constitutional protections and deep cultural ties to firearms, consistently hampers efforts to pass more stringent gun laws.
