After active shooter opens fire on Kentucky highway, massive manhunt continues

Police continue to search for a gunman who shot at motorists on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least seven people and hitting as many as a dozen vehicles.

Some injuries were described as severe, but no fatalities were reported. Vehicles on both sides of the interstate were hit, causing a crash, police said. Five persons were shot and two others were hurt in a car crash.

Police identified Joseph Couch , 32, of Knox County, Kentucky, as the shooting suspect. Officers said the suspect fired an AR-15 from a cliff at drivers near Exit 49 on the freeway. Police believe he acted alone.

A motive is not known, but Couch was reported to have sent his ex-wife a text that said " I'm going to kill a lot of people ," about 30 minutes before the shooting began.

That's according to affidavits from police that were reviewed and reported by the Lexington Herald Leader.

As the search entered its third day Monday, police warned local residents to stay alert, saying Couch could still be in the area, including the Daniel Boone National Forest . He is considered armed and dangerous.

Here is what we know so far:

Where are police searching for shooting suspect?

Initial police reports indicated the shooting was a road rage incident between two vehicles. Officers later determined the shooter was camped out near Exit 49 and was shooting at passing cars.

Officers are using drones, helicopters with infrared search tools, and foot patrols to comb a large area of rugged terrain near I-75.

When did the shooting start?

All times are Central Time and approximate .

Saturday

◾ Morning: Couch legally purchases an AR-15 and about a thousand rounds of ammo at a local business.

◾ 5:03 p.m.: Couch sends his ex-wife a text message saying he's going to kill a lot of people, the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

◾ 5:30 p.m.: Suspect opens fire on I-75 motorists. Seven people are reported hurt, five of them shot, two in a car crash. Later, at least 12 vehicles are found to have been hit by gunfire.

◾ 6:36 p.m.: On social media, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office announces closure of I-75 between Exit 49 and U.S. 25, north of London, "due to an active shooter situation." Both lanes were closed because police were unsure from where the shooter was firing.

◾ 7:30 p.m.: Police begin searching wooded area.

◾ 7:40 p.m.: Kentucky State Police tell the Louisville Courier Journal that investigators " have no clue where he (the suspect) is at."

◾ 8:30 p.m.: A small, silver-colored SUV registered to the suspect is recovered by police off a U.S. Forest Service road off Exit 49. The vehicle contains a rifle case. The car is registered in Couch's name, leading police to publicly identify him as a person of interest.

◾ 9:22 p.m.: The sheriff's office reports I-75 has been reopened .

◾ 3 a.m.: Police pause search.

Sunday

◾ 9 a.m.: Search resumes.

◾ 11 a.m.: Police say dense woods, rough terrain are impeding search.

◾ 1:30 p.m.: Police recover an AR-15 near the interstate and in the vicinity of the SUV.

Monday

◾ 8 a.m.: Police resume search.

Who is the shooting suspect?

On social media, the sheriff's office identified Joseph A. Couch as a person of interest in the shooting. After his SUV was found, Couch was named a suspect.

Couch faces charges of five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, London Mayor Randall Weddle told the Courier Journal on Monday.

Kentucky State Police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Couch's arrest. A private donor is offering an additional $10,000 .

Couch was charged with third-degree domestic terroristic threatening in Knox County on Feb. 8. The misdemeanor charges were later dropped. He was charged with DUI in 2020.

Couch served four years in the U.S. Army Reserves , state police said. He was honorably discharged.

Victims not yet identified

Three shooting victims, not yet identified, were taken to Saint Joseph London Hospital, and two others were transported to UK HealthCare, said Gilbert Acciardo, spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff's Department. Two others were hurt in the vehicle crash.

Kentucky State Police is aiding the search and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Louisville are assisting, the ATF said in a statement .

London is a town of about 8,000 people about 75 miles south of Lexington.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information or whereabouts relating to the suspect to call the London-Laurel County 911 Center.

Contributing: Dann Miller, Olivia Evans, Mariana Johnson, Eleanor McCrary, Rachel Smith, Killian Baalear , Louisville Courier Journal ; John Bacon, USA TODAY

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Louisville Courier-Journal; Reuters; Kentucky State Police; Laurel County Sheriff's Office

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After active shooter opens fire on Kentucky highway, massive manhunt continues