A Kentucky sheriff has been charged with murdering a judge who was shot dead in his courthouse chambers.

A preliminary investigation indicates Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines shot District Judge Kevin Mullins multiple times following an argument inside the courthouse, according to Kentucky State Police.

Judge Mullins, who held the role for 15 years, died at the scene, and Stines surrendered without incident.

The fatal shooting in Whitesburg sent shockwaves through a tight-knit Appalachian town and county seat of government with about 1,700 residents located about 145 miles south east of Lexington.

Lead county prosecutor Matt Butler described an outpouring of sympathy as he recused himself and his office from investigations in the shooting, citing social and family ties to Judge Mullins.

“We all know each other here. … Anyone from Letcher County would tell you that Judge Mullins and I married sisters and that we have children who are first cousins but act like siblings,” Mr Butler said in a statement from his office. “For that reason, among others, I have already taken steps to recuse myself and my entire office.”

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said his office will collaborate with a commonwealth’s attorney in the region as special prosecutors in the criminal case.

“We will fully investigate and pursue justice,” Mr Coleman said on social media.

Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter said he was “shocked by this act of violence” and that the court system was “shaken by this news”.

Letcher County’s judge-executive signed an order closing on Friday the county courthouse where the shooting took place.

Judge Mullins, 54, was hit multiple times in the shooting, Kentucky State Police said. Stines, 43, was charged with one count of first-degree murder.

Responding to the shooting, Governor Andy Beshear said in a social media post: “There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”

Judge Mullins served as a district judge in Letcher County since he was appointed by former governor Steve Beshear in 2009 and elected the following year.

He was known for promoting substance abuse treatment for people involved in the justice system and helped hundreds of residents enter inpatient residential treatment, according to a programme for a drug summit he spoke at in 2022.

He also helped develop a programme called Addiction Recovery Care to offer peer support services in the courthouse. The programme was adopted in at least 50 counties in Kentucky.

He also served as a founding member of the Responsive Effort to Support Treatment in Opioid Recovery Efforts Leadership Team.

After the shooting, several area schools were briefly placed on lockdown.