As residents of a small town in southeast Kentucky mourn the loss of a prominent district judge, they’re looking for answers about the argument that authorities say led up to his killing inside the judge’s chambers and the sheriff’s arrest in his death.

District Judge Kevin Mullins was shot inside the Letcher County Courthouse. Kentucky State Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball confirmed Mullins was the shooting victim in a post on social media.

A sheriff fatally shot a judge in Kentucky on September 19, 2024. Learn about the situation and find out the identity of the sheriff, here.