Letcher County Courthouse shooting leaves judge dead, sheriff arrested; Gov. reacts to shooting
UPDATE: Governor Andy Beshear posted on X today about the shooting.
He wrote, “Sadly, I have been informed 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.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
WHITESBURG, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A tragic shooting at the Letcher County Courthouse has left one person dead. The coroner has not named the victim.
The incident occurred earlier today and involved Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines, who has since been arrested, according to reports.
According to The Mountain Eagle, Sheriff Stines allegedly shot District Judge Kevin Mullins. in Mullins’ office adjacent to the Letcher District Courtroom before surrendering to police. The motives behind the shooting are currently under investigation.
Kentucky Courts released a statement acknowledging the incident: “The Kentucky Court of Justice is aware of a tragic incident that occurred today in Letcher County. We are currently in contact with law enforcement agencies, including Kentucky State Police, and are offering our full support during this difficult time.”
The statement continued, “While the investigation is ongoing, we are committed to providing assistance in any way that we can.”
We have a crew headed to Whitesburg and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available on this developing story.
