LONDON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — The Laurel County community is grappling with shock and fear following a shooting on Interstate 75 that left five individuals injured on Saturday evening.
In response to the recent violence, several local schools, businesses, and churches have been temporarily closed. Kevin Roach, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Corbin, commented on the heightened security measures taken by his congregation.
Kentucky I-75 shooting: Reward for information on suspect Joseph Couch upped to $35K “We were far enough away—I will tell you this—we were extra vigilant on security and making sure that the place was safe and locked a few extra doors and had a few extra guys in places to make sure we would keep an eye on things. I know several of the churches up here in the northern part of the county canceled services, and appropriately so, and I think that was it. Had I been up in the northern part of the county, I probably would’ve canceled services too,” he said.
In the wake of the incident, schools in Laurel County have been coordinating closely with authorities to make informed decisions about reopening.
“I think they are making the right decisions right now, and I know that they will continue to stay in touch with those authorities and make sure that they have all the information they need so that they can make the right decision as to when we go back,” Rhonda Roach, a teacher with Laurel County Schools, said.
Although students are not physically attending classes, educational opportunities continue from home.
“They can read, their parents can get involved a little bit, get them online a little bit and some of those ABC, Starfall so they can do educational things at home on the computer,” Rhonda Roach added. “I actually stay in touch with my parents of students 24 hours a day; they had the opportunity to talk to me through the Dojo app and through Remind, so if anybody has any questions or concerns, they can talk to me at any time.”
Laurel County declares state of emergency amid search for gunman Residents have described the incident as deeply unsettling.
“This is right here in my little hometown of London, Kentucky. We’ve got an active shooter and are concerned that he might, you know, he could drive by my house, and I don’t know.” Rhonda Roach added, “I was traveling back to Laurel County, and I did find myself kind of ducking; you’re cautious, but you’re kind of like almost ducking in your seat.”
Despite the anxiety, there is gratitude towards the law enforcement agencies for their swift response and ongoing efforts.
“We run away from things like this, and so they ran right into the middle of that thing and have done, I just believe a great job of trying to keep us safe and trying to get this guy tracked down and get him in a place where we’re safe again,” Kevin Roach said.
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In a news briefing on Tuesday, authorities indicated that the decision for schools to remain closed during the manhunt is left to individual institutions, but authorities will continue to update school districts and the community.
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