Kentucky sheriff charged in slaying of judge at courthouse

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- A justice successful a agrarian Kentucky region was changeable and killed astatine the section courthouse connected Thursday, and the section sheriff was charged successful the shocking slaying, constabulary said.

The politician said the justice was fatally changeable successful his chambers. The preliminary probe indicates that the sheriff changeable Mullins pursuing an statement wrong the courthouse, constabulary said.

District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was deed aggregate times successful the shooting, Kentucky State Police said. The justice was pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, was taken into custody astatine the country without incident, constabulary said. He was charged with 1 number of first-degree murder.

The probe is continuing, constabulary said.

Responding to the shooting successful a societal media post, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said: "There is acold excessively overmuch unit successful this world, and I commune determination is simply a way to a amended tomorrow."

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said his bureau volition collaborate with a commonwealth's lawyer successful the portion arsenic peculiar prosecutors successful the case.

"We volition afloat analyse and prosecute justice," Coleman said connected societal media.

The shooting occurred astatine the Letcher County courthouse successful Whitesburg. The Appalachian municipality successful southeastern Kentucky is 146 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of Lexington, Kentucky.

The shooting is being investigated by Kentucky State Police. State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart called it an isolated incidental and said determination was nary menace to the public. But helium offered nary details astir the shooting.

Mullins served arsenic a territory justice for Kentucky's 47th District Court successful Letcher County since helium was appointed by erstwhile Gov. Steve Beshear successful 2009 and elected the pursuing year.

Mullins was known for promoting substance maltreatment attraction for radical progressive successful the justness strategy and helped hundreds of residents participate inpatient residential treatment, according to a programme for a cause acme helium spoke astatine successful 2022. He besides helped make a programme called Addiction Recovery Care to connection adjacent enactment services successful the courthouse. The programme was adopted successful astatine slightest 50 counties successful Kentucky.

Mullins besides served arsenic a founding subordinate of the Responsive Effort to Support Treatment successful Opioid Recovery Efforts Leadership Team.

Several country schools were concisely placed connected lockdown, including Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College and Letcher County Schools, according to media reports.