A manhunt is currently underway in Kentucky after a guy shot and injured five people on a highway before fleeing the area.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a report regarding a shooting near Interstate 75 in London, Ky. — roughly 80 miles south of Lexington — around 5:30 p.m., according to a Facebook statement. According to deputies, nine cars were shot in both the north and southbound lanes, resulting in five significant injuries.
“When our first two units arrived, they said it was a madhouse: people on the side of the road, emergency flashers going, bullet holes, windows shot out, nine vehicles shot,” Laurel County deputy Gilbert Acciardo said during a news conference on Sunday, Sept. 8, according to CBS News. “Can you imagine that?” “Just chaos.”
According to the sheriff’s office, officers from the London Police Department (LPD) have identified Joseph A. Couch, 32, as a “person of interest.” According to a Facebook post by the LPD, Couch is a white man who stands 5’10” and weighs 154 pounds.
Couch was then upgraded from a person of interest to a suspect in the case, according to CNN, but Acciardo told CBS News that investigators “have not determined that this is the individual who fired the weapon.”
“This person is believed to be armed and dangerous, and should not be approached. 911 should be called,” the sheriff’s office stated in a post.
On Sunday, Acciardo told the Louisville Courier Journal that officials discovered an AR-15 rifle, a loaded magazine, and a silver Honda CRV registered to Couch in a forested area off the highway.
“We believe he is still in that area, but he cannot remain there. He may be anywhere,” Acciardo told the publication, adding that 30 to 40 law enforcement officers had begun combing the woodland area and adjoining Whitley County, where Couch lives.
The deputy also told CNN that no one was killed in the shooting, but that many victims were “critically hurt,” including one who was hit in the face and another who was shot “across the chest.”
Acciardo stated that no motive has been uncovered yet, but the shooting appeared to be “a planned event.”
“He wasn’t in a vehicle. “No, definitely not road rage,” Acciardo told reporters at a news conference, according to CNN and CBS News.
On Sunday afternoon, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office verified on Facebook that its officers and other local law enforcement were still looking for Couch.
On Saturday night, London Mayor Randall Weddle posted a video update on Facebook, encouraging the rural city of 8,000 residents to remain vigilant and call 911 if anything strange occurred.
“We are encouraging everyone in the municipal limits to be attentive and aware of their surroundings. “If you’re at home, keep your doors locked,” Weddle advised, adding that there was no “immediate danger” in the neighborhood.
Laurel County Public Schools also announced that school for all kids in the district will be canceled on Monday, September 9, due to the manhunt.
Acciardo told CBS News that, while authorities from numerous organizations are looking for Couch, the terrain in the area is forested and mountainous, making the search tough.
“We currently have the region contained. This is a very fluid investigation. Our staff are still on the scene. Our special reaction team is present. “We are looking for a shooter there,” he stated.
+ There are no comments
Add yours