Kentucky State Police say Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines shot District Judge Kevin Mullins multiple times following an argument.

The violence erupted after an argument inside the courthouse, police said. It wasn’t clear what led to the shooting.

Residents of a tiny Appalachian town struggled Friday to cope with a shooting involving two of its most prominent citizens: a judge who was gunned down in his courthouse chambers and a local sheriff charged with his murder.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed that the body found during a search near a freeway this week was alleged Interstate 75 gunman Joseph Couch.

Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was fatally shot in a courthouse at Whitesburg, Kentucky, on Thursday afternoon, according to Kentucky State Police.

It was a married couple who discovered remains that authorities believe were a man who opened fire on a Kentucky highway

The unidentified body was found Wednesday in Laurel County, where authorities said Joseph Couch, 32, opened fire at vehicles on Sept. 7.

The identification, made through DNA testing, affirmed the belief of officials. The body was discovered Wednesday after a 12-day manhunt.

Human remains found Wednesday in Kentucky were positively identified as the man who shot 12 vehicles and wounded five people on Interstate 75 more than a week earlier, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Friday.