Letcher County, Kentucky - A county sheriff was arrested Thursday after he allegedly shot and killed a district court judge in Kentucky.

Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was taken into custody in connection with a shooting at the Letcher County courthouse, the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper reported.

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

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

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"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."

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has already pledged that he and his office will "fully investigate and pursue justice" in the case as special prosecutors.

Gun violence is common in the US, a country where there are more firearms than people.

Earlier this month, a man shot and injured five people on a Kentucky highway. The gunman's body was found Wednesday after a 10-day manhunt.

Despite polls showing Americans favor more gun restrictions, a powerful gun rights lobby, constitutional protections, and a passionate culture around firearm ownership mean that attempts to clamp down on gun rights are always met with stiff political resistance.