Suspect in Custody After Kentucky Judge Shot and Killed in His Chambers

A judge was shot and killed at the Letcher County courthouse in rural Whitesburg, Kentucky, the state’s governor confirmed.

In a post on X, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear verified that a district judge in Letcher County was “shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon.”

“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Kentucky State Police’s post in the region told the Daily Beast a suspect was in custody and investigation into the “isolated incident” was ongoing.

Police have not released details about the shooter or victim, but confirmed to the Daily Beast there was one fatality. The Letcher County Coroner’s Office also confirmed one person died following the incident.

The Mountain Eagle, a local paper based in Whitesburg, reported that the shooter was a Letcher County Sheriff. According to the report, the shooter walked into District Judge Kevin D. Mullins’ office and shot him. The sheriff immediately surrendered to police, according to the report.

Calls to the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office went unanswered on Thursday afternoon.

“The Kentucky Court of Justice is aware of a tragic incident that occurred today in Letcher County,” officials said in a post on social media. “We are currently in contact with law enforcement agencies, including Kentucky State Police, and are offering our full support during this difficult time.”

Some schools in Letcher County were also briefly placed on mandatory lockdown due to the active shooter situation “downtown,” the district confirmed in a post on Facebook.