Search for suspect believed to have wounded 5 people in shooting near Kentucky highway
A manhunt is underway early Sunday as police searched for a gunman in a rural area of southeastern Kentucky who is believed to have shot and wounded five people near Interstate 75.
The Laurel County Sheriff's Office said they are looking for 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch, who they initially said was a person of interest but later named him as the suspect in the shooting on Sunday night. Authorities were searching for him in a remote area north of London, a community of about 8,000 people roughly 75 miles south of Lexington. As of Sunday night, the search had been turned over to the Kentucky State Police.
"We're going to go in and we're going to find this guy," Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, told reporters Sunday.
The shooting on Saturday happened around 5:30 p.m. local time.
Acciardo said when troopers arrived at the scene they found numerous vehicles on the side of the highway at Exit 49. A total of 12 cars were hit, Acciardo said Sunday night. An individual who was "off that exit" fired multiple rounds into the northbound and southbound lanes, striking nine vehicles and wounding five people, he said. The shooter was not in a vehicle at the time.
"When our first two units got to the scene there, they said it was a madhouse: people on the sides of the road, emergency flashers going, bullet holes, windows shot out, nine vehicles shot. Can you imagine that? Just chaotic," he said Sunday during a news conference.
Five people were shot and all were in stable condition Sunday evening, although some of the victims had "very serious" injuries, including one person who was shot in the face, Acciardo said. Another victim's arm was seriously wounded, authorities said Sunday evening. Acciardo said Sunday night all five were expected to survive.
A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington told CBS News on Saturday night that it had received at least two patients from the incident.
Authorities said Sunday they do not believe specific people were targeted in the shooting but that the shooter instead chose the location.
Authorities consider Couch to be armed and dangerous, and they cautioned members of the public who might spot him not to approach him. Acciardo said law enforcement got a "lucky break" that led them to zero in on Couch, but that he couldn't elaborate.
Couch has a military background and served in the National Guard for at least four years, Acciardo said. Couch has what was described as a "minimal" criminal history, which includes a traffic ticket and a terroristic threat charge that was dismissed.
The sheriff's office said Sunday that a silver SUV registered to Couch was found Saturday night and authorities found a rifle case inside. An "AR rifle" was then found Sunday near where the car was found, the sheriff's office said. The gun was purchased legally, Acciardo said.
Although a rifle was recovered, authorities said Sunday they're still concerned Couch may have another firearm.
In a video update on Facebook late Saturday night, London Mayor Randall Weddle tried to calm fears as the search continued for the gunman. He urged residents to call 911 if they hear or see anything suspicious near their homes.
"We're asking folks please do not go outside your home shooting because we might have first responders in that area. It's important to know you are safe. We have multiple agencies in this community, in the city of London and in Laurel County," Weddle said.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms responded to assist state and local police, the agency said.
"You always think, 'Oh, it's not gonna happen to us,' but it's literally in the heart of our own city. So it's very heartbreaking, to say the least," said London resident Janie Vadlapati.
London Mayor Randall Weddle said on social media, "Yesterday's tragic shooting does not define who we are as a community. In this moment of sorrow, we must come together, supporting one another and standing strong in the face of adversity. While we may never fully understand why this happened, we will not allow it to derail our progress."
Rodney Goodlett, pastor of Faith Assembly of God in London, was helping direct traffic as parishioners gathered for a service Sunday morning. He said he expected the search to hold down attendance.
"There's definitely people … that probably won't be here today — just nervous with the suspect still at large," he said.
Goodlett said the congregation was going to pray for the community, the wounded and the first responders, some of whom attend Faith Assembly, where around 275 parishioners pray each week.
"This is tragic, obviously, that somebody would randomly do violent acts," he said. "You hear media things taking place all around our country, but then when it hits home, it's a little bit of a wake-up call."
Authorities believe there was only one shooter, and Acciardo said they do not think the shooting was sparked by road rage. Authorities released a photo of Couch and warned residents to be on the lookout, but Acciardo cautioned that they "have not determined that this is the individual that fired the weapon."
"We do have the area contained right now. It's a very fluid investigation. Our people are still on the scene. Our special response team is there. We are trying to find a shooter there," he said.
Acciardo said the search is dangerous for first responders and is painstaking because of thick foliage There are "a lot of woods, a lot of cuts in the rock," he said. "He could be hiding behind a tree and us walk right up on him."
"We're just hoping for a good resolution," Acciardo said.