Manhunt continues Sunday after several people shot on I-75 in Kentucky

Police resumed searching early Sunday for a man considered armed and dangerous after five people were shot along Interstate 75 in Southern Kentucky on Saturday, said Laurel County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Gilbert Acciardo.

No fatalities have been reported.

Acciardo said the circumstances of the shooting were still under investigation. All five shooting victims were stable Saturday night.

The shooter shot into a total of nine vehicles on both sides of the busy interstate, Acciardo said.

Sunday morning, members of the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad were using a drone to help police search a wooded area near Exit 41 on the interstate in northern Laurel County where the shootings occurred, according to a release.

Acciardo said police believe the gunman is still in the woods in that area, meaning he may have spent a chilly night outside.

Police continued to block motorists from getting off the interstate at Exit 41 because of the potential danger.

The interstate was closed in both directions between Mount Vernon and London for about three hours Saturday evening, but it reopened just before 9:30 p.m. Ky. 909 and U.S. 25 remained closed nine miles north of London in Laurel County as of 11 p.m. Saturday.

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The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office identified Joseph A. Couch, 32, as a person of interest, saying in a Facebook post that he should be considered armed and dangerous, and the public should not attempt to approach him.

“If you have any information regarding the whereabouts or location on this individual please contact the London-Laurel County 911 Center by calling 911 or 606-878-7000,” the sheriff’s office said.

Couch is described as a white man standing about 5-foot-10 and weighing about 154 pounds.

London Mayor Randall Weddle said authorities were searching for Couch in an area of northern Laurel County with “rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines.”

While he said there was “no immediate danger” in the city of London, he asked people to “be vigilant.”

Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington said state police were notified at 6:36 p.m. that the interstate must be shut down. No law enforcement officers have been harmed.

Three of the shooting victims were taken to CHI St. Joseph London, and two were taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, Acciardo said.

CHI St. Joseph London issued a statement saying it had received “multiple patients” who were being treated for “minor injuries.”

“We are devastated by the events that occurred along Interstate 75 in Laurel County, Kentucky, Saturday night,” CHI St. Joseph said in a statement. “We’re thinking of our friends and neighbors during this difficult time and praying for those who have been impacted.”

Gov. Andy Beshear said he was receiving updates from state police as well as the Office of Homeland Security.

“Together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible. Please pray for everyone involved,” Beshear said in a post on the social media platform X.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were closed for hours Saturday between Exit 41 and Exit 59. So, too, was U.S. 25 nine miles north of London, as well as KY 909.

Traffic was heavy in the area Saturday night, and motorists heading north on Interstate 75 south of the scene were being routed off the interstate toward Somerset. From there, they could get on the interstate in Mount Vernon.

Members of Laurel County’s legislative delegation released a statement asking people to avoid the area. They also asked people who live near the scene to “remain in their homes as local law enforcement and the Kentucky State Police work.”

“As we continue to learn more about this attack, we ask for prayers for everyone involved, the victims, their families, and the first responders,” the statement said. “Without a doubt, this is an act of senseless violence that does not reflect the values of this community, our Commonwealth, or its people.”

The London Travel Plaza just off I-75 closed for safety reasons as a result of the shooting, and employees went to a windowless room. The business later let people in to use the bathroom and get gas. The manager stood out front with an AR-15 for a time.

Nicola Pariseau, 44, of Atlanta, was headed south on I-75 when she got stopped at Mount Vernon because of the shooting.

She sat for over an hour and 10 minutes and then detoured across Ky. 461 to near Somerset and then Ky. 80 to London to get back on the interstate.

She said it was an inconvenience but she was glad to not be in danger.

“I’m just getting really sick of hearing of all these active shooter situations,“ she said. She said there had been extra security at her child’s school in Atlanta after the shooting in Georgia this week.

Herald-Leader staff writer Valarie Honeycutt Spears contributed to this report.