Maryland judge Andrew Wilkinson shot and killed outside his home

Maryland police are hunting for a suspect in the killing of a judge, who was shot outside his home and later died in a hospital on Thursday.

Police have identified the victim as Washington County Circuit Court Associate Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, of Hagerstown.

The local sheriff's office says it is looking for Pedro Argote, 49, as part of a homicide investigation.

There's no indication of a motive at this time.

The Washington County Sheriff's office is expected to provide more details at a press conference on Friday.

Deputies went to Mr Wilkinson's residence after receiving reports of a shooting. The victim was found bleeding from gunshot wounds in his driveway.

State legislator Neil Parrott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Wilkinson appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The police have asked members of public to not approach the suspect but to immediately notify law enforcement.

Judge Wilkinson had been presiding over a divorce case involving a man with the name of Pedro Argote and held a hearing in the case on Thursday morning, according to Maryland court records.

Mr Wilkinson became a judge in 2020, after working as a lawyer for more than 20 years, according to the Maryland State Archives. He was active in his church and coached youth sports.