A man wanted in what authorities said was a planned shooting on a Kentucky interstate that left five people seriously wounded and 12 vehicles riddled with gunfire remains at large in a remote wooded area.
The man, Joseph A. Couch, 32, was reclassified from a person of interest to a suspect on Sunday afternoon after the police recovered a vehicle that was registered in his name, a weapon near the vehicle and interviewed people who authorities said made statements that identified him as the suspect. Mr. Couch, a Kentucky native, served four years in the National Guard in the engineer battalion. He was arrested, but dismissed, on a terroristic threatening charge earlier this year.
The manhunt began around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, but authorities called it off after running out of daylight. On Sunday, ground searchers lost daylight again searching for Mr. Couch, but the police said they have formed a perimeter around the area and will be patrolling throughout Sunday night. The search area is a large wooded area near where the shooting took place on Interstate 75 at Exit 49, about eight miles north of London, Ky.
Laurel County Sheriff’s Captain Richard Dalrymple told reporters on Sunday night that the suspect had shot from a ledge on a cliff side and down onto the highway. He was using a gun and 1,000 rounds of ammunition he had legally purchased on Saturday morning, according to investigators.
The weapon they believe he used, an AR-15 rifle, was found on Sunday in a wooded area next to the interstate. The police believe he may still be armed.
Nearby communities were on edge on Sunday night. Several schools canceled classes on Monday as the Kentucky State Police said they would continue their search in the morning. The police warned local residents to lock their doors, keep their porch lights on and devices charged.
Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters on Sunday that all five victims were expected to survive and were in stable condition.
Investigators believe that the attack was planned but the individuals were not targeted.
A motive for the shooting was unclear but Deputy Acciardo said that Mr. Couch was “committed” to his plan. He did not provide more details. Investigators were unsure if Mr. Couch had supplies or weapons in the wilderness where they believe he is hiding.
Officials found a small SUV registered to Mr. Couch at the top of a hill near the interstate on Saturday night. The AR-15 was then found on Sunday “some distance” from the vehicle, Deputy Acciardo said.
A rifle case was recovered in the vehicle, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. A phone was also found but its battery was removed, Deputy Acciardo said.
Deputy Acciardo described a chaotic scene on Saturday night, with several cars parked on the shoulder of the interstate with their emergency lights flashing and officers sorting through inaccurate reports about what had happened.
Deputies rushed some of the wounded to the hospital because of the severity of their injuries, Deputy Acciardo told The Courier Journal. Among the injuries, one person was shot in the face, another in the arm and another in the chest, Deputy Acciardo said.
The authorities found 12 vehicles damaged by gunfire, including bullet holes and windows that were shot out.
The search for the gunman was suspended until daybreak on Monday because of the danger posed to law enforcement officials if they searched in the thickly wooded area at night. The search will continue on Monday at around 8 a.m.
The authorities were relying on 40 to 50 people, as well as dogs, a helicopter and a drone with an infrared scanner to help in the search.
“The area, it’s so remote, that’s probably one of the most remote exits along I-75,” Deputy Acciardo said. “He couldn’t have picked an area that’s anymore remote and difficult for us to try to locate him.”
Deputy Acciardo said that while the authorities believed that the man was in the woods, they did not want to rule out that he could be somewhere else. He urged residents to be vigilant and to avoid the search area.
He said there were rocks in the area being searched, which could provide cover from the drone and those looking on the ground.
Daniel Boone National Forest covers the surrounding area where the shooting took place. The densely forested landscape is filled with cliff sides and large rock formations. The police said the area where they believe Mr. Couch is hiding in is extremely remote with few homes.
The post Gunman Who Wounded 5 On a Kentucky Highway Remains At Large appeared first on New York Times.
