The search for the gunman entered a third day Monday, with officers using machetes to hack through “jungle”-like terrain to find the suspect who opened fire near Interstate 75 over the weekend, wounding five people, Kentucky authorities said.
Deputies have been searching the rolling hills of southeastern Kentucky since the shooting happened around 6 p.m. Saturday near Exit 49. Deputies have found the suspect, Joseph A. Couch, 32, an AR-15 rifle and a small silver SUV, but Couch remains at large.
London police spokesman Detective Sergeant Scotty Pennington said the extensive search along the highway was “like walking through a jungle” and that machetes were needed to cut through the bush.
As dawn broke on Sunday, the search again ended with no sign of the suspect. The search resumed on Monday morning, focusing on a remote area about eight miles north of London.
Kentucky State Police find SUV and AR-15 in search of I-75 shooter
Joseph A. Couch was named as a suspect in the I-75 shooting after authorities found a vehicle registered to him near the crime scene. He was initially named as a suspect. (London Police)
“As this situation continues, it creates more stress for the community, it creates more stress for the officers on the scene because we're searching, we're trying to find the perpetrator, and we haven't found him yet,” said Deputy Sheriff Gilbert Atchard, spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.
Officials say the terrain in the search area is hilly and rocky, making travel difficult. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Several school districts in rural areas canceled classes for Monday as an abundance of caution, and officials warned residents to keep their doors locked, their porch lights on and their security cameras monitored.
Police authorities have been searching relentlessly for Couch since Saturday night. (Laurel County Sheriff's Office)
Couch was originally named as a suspect before authorities found a vehicle near the crime scene.
Authorities said Couch purchased the weapon and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition in London on Saturday morning. Sheriff's Office Capt. Richard Dalrymple said Couch has a military background and served in the National Guard for at least four years.
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Investigators believe Couch fired a total of 20 to 30 rounds from a wooded area near the highway. “He could have fired them onto the interstate,” Aciardo said. Aciardo said Couch likely chose the location because it was a remote area with hills and rocks that would make travel difficult.
Authorities said the search area is in a remote area about eight miles north of London, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Authorities said gunfire struck 12 vehicles early Sunday, wounding five people, all of whom are in stable condition. Some of the victims suffered “very serious injuries,” including one person who was shot in the face. The shooting caused a vehicle crash that injured two others.
Authorities said officers from across the state were assisting in the investigation and that investigators had received numerous tips from the public.
A shooting caused a traffic stop on Interstate 75 north of London, Kentucky, on Saturday. (Camden Mink/Mount Vernon Fire Department via The Associated Press)
Meanwhile, specially trained policemen have been deployed at strategic locations around the forest area to prevent any suspects from slipping through the perimeter.
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“We're not going to give up until we get him,” Laurel County Sheriff John Root said Sunday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
