Laurel County declares state of emergency amid search for gunman

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — A state of emergency has been declared in Laurel County following an interstate shooting as authorities continue the search for the man allegedly responsible.

Judge Executive David Westerfield told FOX 56 that the state of emergency took effect at 8 a.m. on Monday. The declaration comes in response to a Saturday I-75 shooting that injured five people as the search continues to unfold with the suspected gunman, 32-year-old Joseph Couch.

“When you declare a state of emergency here in the county, it allows us to pull from the state and federal level on the items that we need,” Westerfield said.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Kentucky State Police (KSP) trooper Scottie Pennington said that search teams plan to keep working until Couch is found “dead or alive.”

Because the search is centered in the Daniel Boone National Forest, authorities said the vast area will take time for their crews to clear.

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Westerfield emphasized that the state of emergency will ensure the county can supply first responders with any resources they need with the help of state and federal funding if necessary.

“It stays in place until the incident is over,” he said. “That time, we’ll stop it.”

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