The manhunt for a suspect accused of shooting motorists along Interstate 75 in Laurel County Saturday remains ongoing, the Kentucky State Police said Monday afternoon.
KSP Trooper Scottie Pennington said he hopes constant pressure from law enforcement forces Joseph Couch, 32, to come out from wherever he may be hiding, potentially in the dense Daniel Boone National Forest.
Laurel County Sheriff John Root said police have not found information that leads them to believe anyone else was involved in Couch’s plan of attack.
Pennington said local, state and federal authorities are taking part in the methodical search in the heavily wooded area near the scene of the shooting.
“We hope that he’s still in that area,” Pennington said. “We all hope that we got him contained.”
Pennington said safety is the first priority of everyone involved in the search, even if it means they have to go at a snail’s pace.
“We are committed to make sure that there is no harm to anybody in the community and also our first responders on the ground,” Pennington said.
In addition to looking for Couch, Pennington said searchers are also looking for evidence. Some evidence was located Sunday, he said, but did not elaborate.
Pennington encouraged residents near the search area to keep an eye out for one another, pay attention to things that may seem amiss and urged hunters to avoid the area for the time being.
Police also clarified that Couch was in the Army Reserves, not the Army National Guard.
Police previously said Couch is believed to have shot into a 12 cars on I-75 at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday from a vantage point on a ledge hillside overlooking the busy road in northern Laurel County. Victims were traveling in both the north- and southbound lanes of I-75.
Four of the victims were transported to a hospital, while the fifth victim arrived at the hospital themself, according to an affidavit. The affidavit identified the victims as Rebecca Puryear, Norma Liberia, Renee Walker, Janet Booth and Erick Tavin.
Puryear told the Herald-Leader she believed “This man was out to kill, and he almost did.”
Couch was named a person of interest early in the investigation and has been on the run since. Police later upgraded his status to a suspect and are offering a $5,000 reward in exchange for information that leads to Couch’s arrest. Also Monday, an anonymous donor offered a $10,000 gift to the sheriff’s office for information leading to Couch’s capture.
Police think the attack was planned and that the shooter intentionally fired from near a heavily wooded part of I-75.
Couch’s vehicle was recovered Saturday night. Police have also found a phone that they believed belonged to him and the AR-15 assault-style rifle believed to have been used in the shooting.
Before the shooting Couch messaged his ex-wife pledging, “I’m going to kill a lot of people.”
Arrest warrants have been filed against Couch, charging him with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault. Police could also charge Couch with wanton endangerment and criminal mischief for shooting into other cars where people were not hurt.
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