A Kentucky sheriff is under arrest and a district judge is dead after the police allegedly shot the judge in his office at the Letcher County Courthouse on Thursday.
The county coroner confirmed that District Judge Kevin Mullins had died after being shotaccording to local station WKYT.
The perpetrator was identified as The Sheriff of Letcher County Mickey Stines, who surrendered and was arrested.
Schools in the county were closed in the wake of the shooting, Lexington NBC affiliate WLEX reported.
“After a call from the Kentucky State Police, we were was ordered to enter a mandatory lockdown due to an active shooting downtown, Letcher County Central High said in a statement on social media. “Your children are safe. The shooter has been apprehended, but KSP has not released us to get out of the lockdown. Your children were never in a worrisome situation.”
The shooting took place in Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, about 150 miles southeast of Lexington near the Virginia state line.
Details of the shooting were scarce and charges were not immediately made public.
“The Kentucky Court of Justice is aware of a tragic incident that occurred today in Letcher County,” the state Department of Justice said in a statement obtained by WLEX. “We are currently in contact with law enforcement, including the Kentucky State Police, and are offering our full support during this difficult time. While the investigation is ongoing, we are committed to providing assistance in any way we can.”