Law enforcement officials are stepping up the search for a suspect in Saturday's shooting on Interstate 75 near London, Kentucky.
At about 5:30 p.m., a gunman fired an AR-15 from a cliff next to an interstate about nine miles north of London (about 90 miles south of Lexington), striking 12 vehicles and wounding five people, including one who was shot in the face.
“We won't give up until we catch him.”
“Given the severity of his injuries, several officers loaded the injured man into a vehicle and transported him to London Hospital.” said Laurel County Sheriff John Root.
All victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition, Deputy Sheriff Gilbert Atchard said Sunday. Two more people were injured in a vehicle crash that occurred during the shooting, police said.
Authorities immediately closed I-75 in both directions as they did not know the shooter's location.
“We couldn't risk someone else getting shot,” Root said.
I-75 reopened around 9:30 p.m. the same day.
Police initially named 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch as a suspect in the shooting but upgraded him to a suspect Sunday afternoon. Investigators said they found an AR-15 rifle and Couch's vehicle near the scene of the shooting.
The decision to name Couch as a suspect was made based on evidence collected, the recovery of weapons, Couch's vehicle and “several pieces of information” that Root was unable to disclose at the time.
According to Capt. Richard Dalrymple of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, Couch served in the National Guard's engineer battalion for four years.
Couch has a “very minimal” criminal history in Kentucky, according to Jackie Steele, state's attorney for the 27th Judicial District. Couch was previously charged with making terroristic threats, but the charges were dropped earlier this year, Steele said.
On Monday, Couch was charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault on an arrest warrant. Couch also faces less serious charges, including criminal damage to property and intentional endangerment.
Couch, a native of Woodbine, Kentucky, is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds.
Sheriff's Office said Couch is considered armed and dangerous so do not approach him.
Dalrymple said at a news conference Sunday night that Couch had purchased a gun and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition just hours before the shooting.
“He acquired the firearm from a local location in London,” Mr Root said. saidHe added that it was a legitimate purchase.
“Lock your doors, if you have security cameras, keep them on at all times and keep your hallway light on. Carry your phone with you and make sure it's fully charged because you never know when you might need to call someone or the police.”
Investigators searched Couch's home Sunday night, Dalrymple said.
Kentucky State Police took over the search for Couch on Sunday night, and the Laurel County Sheriff's Office is handling the criminal investigation. The FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also assisting in the investigation.
Couch is believed to be in a large wooded area near the scene of the shooting.
Police are using helicopters, drones, police dog teams and ground crews to search the area.
Scottie Pennington, a spokesman for the Kentucky State Police. attention“You can't finish it early. [any] We need to take every step. We don't know if he's in the area. So we have to take things slowly.”
“We will not give up until we get him. This effort will not stop,” Root declared.
Police said the shooter did not appear to be targeting anyone in particular, and Achardo said the attack appeared to be a “planned event.” Police have not released any information about a motive for the shooting.
Mr Pennington offered advice to local residents: “You should lock your doors. If you have security cameras, keep them on at all times and keep your hallway light on. Take your mobile phone with you and make sure it's charged because you never know when you might need to contact someone or the police.”
More than a dozen school districts in Laurel, Jackson and Clay counties and several other private schools canceled classes Monday as authorities closed schools as a precaution as the search for the I-75 shooter entered its third day.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Hal Rogers said Sunday statement Regarding the shooting.
“Our emergency personnel have been working around the clock for more than 24 hours to locate the suspect who turned Interstate 75 in Laurel County into a dangerous shooting gallery on Saturday, wounding five people,” Rogers began. “Thankfully, local police have confirmed that no additional shots were fired today and that all of the shooting victims are in stable condition.”
Rogers noted that the driver of the tractor-trailer rescued students trapped inside a school bus on the highway.
“We also applaud the unsung heroes who helped victims before emergency responders arrived on the scene, the truck drivers who surrounded school buses to protect students who were stranded on the interstate for hours, and the people who donated water and food to Central Command to support our brave first responders,” Rogers said.
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