A county sheriff was arrested on Thursday after allegedly shooting and killing a district court judge in Kentucky, located in the southern United States.

Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was apprehended in relation to the incident at the Letcher County courthouse, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Local station WKYT reported that Stines is accused of shooting Judge Kevin Mullins in his office.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirms District Judge Kevin Mullins in Letcher County was shot and killed today in his chambers. A suspect has been apprehended.

The District Court is the court of limited jurisdiction and handles juvenile matters, city and… pic.twitter.com/YvAFmLTdv7

— Andrea Shaffer, Employment/Labor Law (@Andreafreedom76) September 19, 2024

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the shooting in a post on X.

“Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon,” Beshear stated.

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

Earlier this month, a man shot and injured five people on a highway in Kentucky. The body of the gunman was discovered after a 10-day search.

US gun violence: Debate intensifies as firearm deaths soar

Gun violence is a frequent issue in the United States, where there are more firearms than people. Despite public opinion polls showing a desire for stricter gun regulations, the strong influence of the gun rights lobby, constitutional protections, and a deeply ingrained gun culture create significant political obstacles to enacting tighter controls.

The 2022 gun safety legislation passed by Congress was the most significant in decades, enhancing background checks and supporting states with "Red Flag" laws that allow the confiscation of weapons from individuals deemed high-risk. Nevertheless, advocates argue that more comprehensive measures are necessary.

In that same year, over 48,000 people died from gun-related incidents, prompting the surgeon general to issue a landmark advisory declaring gun violence a "public health crisis."

Gun rights and gun violence are key issues in elections. Republican candidate Donald Trump, viewed as a strong supporter of gun rights, expressed on social media that "our hearts are with the victims" of the Georgia shooting.

On the other hand, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, attorney general of California, and US senator, urged Congress to "finally" pass an assault weapons ban. This proposed ban would mirror the one that President Joe Biden helped draft and pass into law in 1994, which expired after a decade without renewal by Congress.