A Kentucky sheriff is under arrest and a district judge is dead after the law enforcement officer allegedly shot the judge in his office at the Letcher County Courthouse on Thursday.

The county coroner confirmed that district judge Kevin Mullins had died after being shot, according to local station WKYT.

The shooter was identified as Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines, who surrendered and was arrested.

Schools in the county were placed on lockdown in the wake of the shooting, reported Lexington NBC affiliate WLEX.

“After a call from Kentucky State Police, we were ordered to go into a mandatory lockdown because of an active shooting in downtown,” Letcher County Central High said in a statement on social media. “Your children are safe. The shooter has been apprehended, but KSP has not released us to come out of lockdown. Your children were never in a concerning situation.”

The shooting took place in Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, about 150 miles southeast of Lexington near the Virginia state line.

Details on the shooting were scant, and charges were not immediately made public.

“The Kentucky Court of Justice is aware of a tragic incident that occurred today in Letcher County,” the state’s Judicial Branch said in a statement obtained by WLEX. “We are currently in contact with law enforcement agencies, including Kentucky State Police, and are offering our full support during this difficult time. While the investigation is ongoing, we are committed to providing assistance in any way we can.”

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