A rural Kentucky community remained on edge and several school districts canceled classes Monday as the search for a suspect wanted in connection with a highway shooting entered its third day.
The shooting, on Interstate 75, about eight miles north of London, Ky., struck at least a dozen vehicles Saturday and Five people were seriously injured. According to Laurel County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, an arrest warrant for the suspect, Joseph A. Couch, 32, is charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.
Mr Couch has been on the run since the shooting was reported on Saturday evening, eluding a search effort that included dozens of people, dogs and a drone with an infrared scanner.
Capt. Richard Dalrymple of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that Mr. Couch was shot over the side of a cliff and down the highway. He used a gun and 1,000 rounds of ammunition that he bought legally on Saturday morning, officials said.
The search for Mr. Koch was expected to resume around 8 a.m. Monday after pausing Sunday night. Police said they had set up a perimeter around a large wooded area where Mr. Koch was believed to be, but they said the densely forested landscape made the search difficult.
The search began around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and over the next two days authorities found a small SUV registered to Mr. Couch on top of a hill near the interstate and an AR-15 rifle “a short distance” from the vehicle. . A phone was also found, but its battery had been removed.
At least seven counties and several independent schools in southeastern Kentucky canceled classes Monday, along with one community college.
Laurel County Public Schools said in a statement on its website That its schools will remain closed on Monday “out of an abundance of caution”.
At a news conference Sunday, police warned local residents to lock their doors, regularly monitor any security cameras and leave their porch lights on and devices charged.
Mayor Randall Waddle of London, Ky., said in a statement on Facebook On Sunday that shooting doesn’t define a community. “In this hour of sorrow, we must support each other and stand strong in the face of adversity,” he said. “While we may never fully understand why this happened, we will not let it derail our progress.”
All five victims were expected to survive and were in stable condition as of Sunday, Deputy Acciardo said.
Deputy Acciardo told the Courier Journal that one person was shot in the face, another in the arm and another in the chest.
Officers found 12 vehicles with gunshot damage, including bullet holes and windows that had been shot out.
Officials believe the attack was planned but that individuals were not targeted.
While the motive for the shooting was unclear, Deputy Acciardo said Mr. Koch was “committed” to his plan. Officials weren’t sure if he had supplies or weapons in the desert as they believed he was hiding. Mr. Couch, a native of Kentucky, served four years in the National Guard in an engineer battalion, Capt. Dalrymple said.
Officials described the area where Mr. Couch may be hiding as extremely remote with few homes.
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