Several people have been shot in Kentucky near Interstate 75 after a gunman opened fire before fleeing into the woods.
Officials have launched an urgent manhunt near the town of London, Kentucky, to locate the suspect, who was named by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office as Joseph A. Couch, 32.
Couch is described as a white male, approximately 5’10, 154lbs, and should be considered armed and dangerous. According to his social media profiles, Couch is a US Army veteran.
Deputies told WYMT that there are ‘multiple severe injuries’. The number of people shot is not clear, and authorities have not yet commented on their conditions or if any have been killed.
Early reports indicate a gunman may have fired randomly at cars on the highway, with an image shared to social media purportedly from the incident showing a vehicle’s back window smashed after it was struck by a bullet.
Several people have been shot in Kentucky near Interstate 75 after a gunman opened fire before fleeing into the woods
Authorities named Joseph A. Couch, 32, as the suspect in the shooting. He is described as a white male, approximately 5’10, 154lbs, and should be considered armed and dangerous
Early reports indicate a gunman may have fired randomly at cars on the highway, with an image shared to social media purportedly from the incident showing a vehicle’s back window smashed after it was struck by a bullet
ATF agents have been scrambled to the area to assist in the search alongside Kentucky State Police, the agency said in a statement to X.
Several helicopters have also been dispatched to the scene, and locators show they have spent several hours on Saturday evening circling over a wooded area near the interstate.
According to a social media profile purportedly belonging to Couch, he is a US Army veteran who lives in the Corbin, Kentucky area.
The suspect remains at large, with Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington saying on social media the gunman ‘has not been caught at this time.’
‘We are urging people to stay inside,’ Pennington added.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on X that his office is ‘aware’ of the active shooter situation, as he urged locals to ‘please avoid the area.’
‘Together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible. Please pray for everyone involved,’ Beshear said.
Couch (seen in an image from his Facebook profile unrelated to the alleged shooting) is a US Army veteran who lives in the Corbin, Kentucky area, according to his social media
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office released this image of police scrambling to the scene
Authorities closed off large sections of the I-75 highway around the scene, causing ‘significant delays’ as traffic built up
The mayor of London, Kentucky, Randall Weddle, said on Facebook that people should ‘not be anywhere in that area’ and warned drivers to find alternative routes.
Drivers on I-75 reported that heavy traffic has built up in the area after police closed down large sections of the highway.
The Mount Vernon Fire Department told drivers in the area to expect ‘significant delays’ as a result of the police action on the interstate.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information is confirmed.