A manhunt is underway in Kentucky after a number of people were shot on a highway near the city of London on Saturday. The incident began at about 17:30 local time (21:30 GMT). Police arrived and found nine vehicles had been shot into near Interstate 75. Seven people have been injured, five of those seriously, according to the Laurel County Sheriff. Mayor Randall Weddle of London said not all of these injuries were by gunshot, and that no-one had been killed. Police have named Joseph A Couch, 32, as a person of interest and say he is considered armed and dangerous.
Mr Couch, from Woodbine in Kentucky is described as 5'10" (178cm) and weighs approximately 154 pounds (70kg). Officers say shots were fired into vehicles travelling in both directions along the highway. I–75 was closed for several hours because of the danger to passing cars. According to local media, shots may have been fired from a wooded area near to the highway, or from an overpass. "The suspect or suspects have not been apprehended at this time, but they are searching for them," said Mayor Randall in a video posted to Facebook at about 21:30 local time. "Where they are currently, that is some rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines," he said.
Speaking to CNN, Christina DiNoto, who was driving on I-75 with a friend at the time of the shooting said "it was like a rock went through my back window", hurting her ear. “We looked at each other and we were like, ‘Was that a gunshot?’ And then we’re like, ‘No, that wasn’t a gunshot.’” She said it was only an hour and a half later they learnt that it had been a shooting. Later on Friday, Mount Vernon Fire Department said a section of the highway close to where the shooting happened had reopened, after being closed for about three hours. A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington told the BBC's US partner, CBS News that it had received at least two patients from the incident so far, but there was no word on their conditions.
Trooper Scottie Pennington, a Kentucky State Police spokesperson, urged residents in the area to stay inside. Members of the public have been warned not to approach the person of interest. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also confirmed it was involved in the search. Earlier, Kentucky's Governor Andy Beshear wrote on social media that law enforcement had "shut the interstate down in both directions" near to where the shooting happened. He said the area should be avoided, and urged the public to "pray for everyone involved". London is a small city of about 8,000 residents near the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Aftermath of the Shooting
The incident has left the community shaken. The shooting occurred on Interstate 75, about nine miles north of the city of London, where "numerous persons have been shot," said the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. Responding deputies later discovered nine vehicles had been shot into on both north and southbound lanes of the interstate, the sheriff’s office said. All five people injured had sustained gunshot injuries, Acciardo told CNN.
The Suspect
The London Police Department has identified 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch as a person of interest who is considered “armed and dangerous.” He is described as a White man, roughly 5 foot, 10 inches, weighing about 154 pounds, police said. “We know the general area where this individual is,” London Mayor Randall Weddle said in a Saturday night video update, adding that he will not provide further specifics.
Law Enforcement Response
The police department urged people to contact their 911 call center with “any information regarding the whereabouts or location on this individual.” Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington said via social media the suspect “has not been caught at this time. We are urging people to stay inside.” Law enforcement will provide “as much information as it becomes available,” he added. The interstate was reopened on Saturday evening after it was closed for roughly three hours from exit 41 to exit 59, both northbound and southbound lanes, due to the active shooting, according to the Mount Vernon Fire Department.
A Community in Shock
The spasm of gun violence erupted just days after a mass shooting left four people dead and nine others hospitalized at a high school in Winder, Georgia — and less than a week after a half-dozen people driving on an interstate in the Seattle area were injured by a spree shooter. Gov. Andy Beshear said in an earlier statement on X: “Kentucky, we are aware of a shooting on I-75 in Laurel County. Law enforcement has shut the interstate down in both directions at exit 49. Please avoid the area. We will provide more details once they are available.” “Together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible. Please pray for everyone involved,” he said in another statement.
A Witness's Account
One woman who was driving on Interstate 75 with a friend from Rochester, New York, to Knoxville, Tennessee, gave harrowing details about the shooting in an interview with CNN. When they reached London, Christina DiNoto said she and her friend heard a “loud noise.” “We were just driving along, and all of a sudden, it was like a rock went through my back window, and it hurt my ear,” DiNoto said. “And we looked at each other and we were like, ‘Was that a gunshot?’ And then we’re like, ‘No, that wasn’t a gunshot.’” DiNoto said she noticed a truck driving next to her car slowed down and pulled off to the shoulder of the interstate, so she initially thought they had a tire blowout. She said they saw several police cars drive by at a high speed and “so many” tires on the side of the interstate. It wasn’t until roughly an hour and a half later DiNoto and her friend learned about the shooting. When they arrived at a friend’s house, they noticed what appeared to be paint scrapes on the back of her car. “My hands are still shaking,” said DiNoto, who added she feels incredibly lucky.
A Nation Haunted by Gun Violence
The shooting in Kentucky is the latest in a string of gun violence incidents that have plagued the United States in recent years. The country is grappling with a gun violence epidemic, with mass shootings becoming an all too frequent occurrence. The lack of stricter gun control laws and the easy availability of firearms have been blamed for the rise in gun violence. The ongoing debate over gun control has divided the nation, with politicians and advocacy groups on both sides of the issue fiercely advocating for their positions.
Ongoing Investigation
The investigation into the Kentucky highway shooting is ongoing. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the suspect to contact the London-Laurel County 911 Center by calling 911 or 606-878-7000. As of Sunday morning, the suspect has not been apprehended, and the investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
