Kentucky shooting: Authorities hoping to wait out suspect

( NewsNation ) — Authorities are hoping Kentucky shooting suspect Joseph Couch , 32, will come out of hiding and give himself up.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington held a press conference Monday afternoon to provide an update on Couch, who is on the run in southern Kentucky woodland.

Couch is accused of shooting at 12 vehicles on Interstate 75 in Kentucky on Saturday, which injured at least seven people.

The former Army Reserve member has been on the run since the shooting, and Pennington hopes a lack of food and water may drive Couch to submit.

“This manhunt has become a methodical effort, something like a hide-and-seek,” Pennington told reporters. “Our goal is to apply steady pressure and wear Mr. Couch down.

“Hopefully, he has no water and nothing to eat, and just time that we will wear him down [by] putting pressure on him. … Hopefully, he’ll eventually just walk out of the woods and give himself up.”

Authorities are patrolling the wooded area where Couch is expected to be hiding, but the terrain is challenging. Pennington described the land being searched as a jungle.

The FBI, ATF and Kentucky State Police are all involved in the search. He was not previously familiar to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

While law enforcement has yet to release the names of the victims, they are all expected to survive. A $5,000 reward has been offered for information relating to Couch.

Couch became a person of interest after authorities found an SUV registered to him in the vicinity of the attack on I-75.

Pennington has urged residents to be vigilant, check on their neighbors and avoid hunting in areas near the police search.

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