Manhunt underway for suspect in active shooter situation that shut down I-75 in Kentucky

Authorities in Kentucky are searching for a suspect in an active shooter situation that shut down Interstate 75 in eastern Kentucky for about three hours, authorities said on social media.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office said "numerous" people have been shot, according to a Facebook post. The shooter had not been caught, Kentucky State Police spokesperson Scottie Pennington also wrote on the social media site.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office identified 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch as a person of interest in the shooting, according to a post on Facebook. The agency asked anyone with information or whereabouts relating to suspect to call the London-Laurel County 911 Center.

There are an estimated four to six victims, Pennington said in a phone call with The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network . It's unclear the extent of the injuries.

The roadway was shut down near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, about nine miles north of London, beginning at around 6:30 p.m., according to officials. Laurel County is about 90 miles south of Lexington in Eastern Kentucky. It has a population of about 62,000 and includes part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Gov. Andy Beshear acknowledged the situation in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Kentucky, we are aware of a shooting on I-75 in Laurel County. Law enforcement has shut the interstate down in both directions at exit 49. Please avoid the area. We will provide more details once they are available," he wrote.

London Mayor Randall Weddle also made a post on Facebook warning people to stay away from the area.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on X that its agents are responding and assisting Kentucky authorities.

More: 'Spasms of violence': Mass shootings on I-5 in Seattle lead to injuries before arrest

The shooting on the interstate comes just days after a student opened fire in a in high school in Georgia, killing two students and two teachers while injuring nine others.

On Monday, one suspect was arrested following at least seven shootings along Interstate 5 in the Seattle and Tacoma areas of Washington. The shootings took place across a stretch of 20 miles of the highway.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Manhunt underway for suspect in active shooter situation that shut down I-75 in Kentucky