A county sheriff was charged with murder on Thursday after allegedly shooting and killing a district court judge in the southern US state of Kentucky.
Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was arrested in connection with a gunshot in the county courthouse, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
He was charged with one count of first-degree murder, according to CBS News.
A police spokesman informed the publication that the shooting took place after an argument between Stines and judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in the latter’s office.
Investigators have not yet revealed a motive.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear acknowledged the incident in a post on X, the former 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 widespread in the United States, a country with more firearms than people.
Earlier last month, a man shot and wounded five people on a Kentucky highway. The gunman’s body was discovered Wednesday, following a 10-day manhunt.
Despite polls suggesting that Americans want stronger gun restrictions, a formidable gun rights lobby, constitutional safeguards, and a passionate culture of handgun ownership ensure that attempts to limit gun rights are invariably met with significant political opposition.