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LONDON, Ky. − A manhunt was underway Sunday for a gunman whose carnage on a rural southeastern Kentucky highway wounded five people, damaged nine cars and caused an hours-long shutdown of Interstate 75.
Gilbert Acciardo, spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s office, said deputies responding to a 911 call at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday found vehicles parked on the side of the highway with windows shot out or riddled with bullet holes. Some of the wounded were “severely” injured, though he said no fatalities were expected.
“Some of them were injured so badly and bleeding so bad that our deputies actually loaded them up and took them to an area hospital,” he said at a briefing Sunday. “Everything was chaotic.”
Joseph A. Couch, 32, was identified as a person of interest in the investigation. Acciardo said Couch should “definitely” be considered armed and dangerous and that he would “more than likely” be considered a suspect by the end of the day.
Acciardo said initial 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, Acciardo said.
“In a chaotic scene like this, you got to weed through everything and figure out what’s going on,” Acciardo said. “Yeah, we got some breaks in the in this case to identify a suspect early on, and I really think this is going to be the guy.”
Acciardo said the initial hunt for the gunman was hampered by darkness and the terrain of the remote, wooded, hilly area about 160 miles southeast of Louisville. He said helicopters with infrared search tools were being used in the search. The interstate in the area was shut down in both directions for more than three hours. Investigators paused the search at about 3 a.m., resuming about six hours later.
Acciardo said he was confident law enforcement had contained the person of interest in the search area and would find him Sunday.
Ophelia Riley, a London native who still travels to London every Sunday for church, said she drove to town a day early after hearing about the incident. She has family in the area, and two of her relatives are involved in the investigation − her brother is a Kentucky State Police officer and her cousin is a Laurel County deputy, she said.
An event like this, she said, is far from typical for the community.
“I’ve been out all night just running around because I couldn’t sleep,” Riley said. “Nothing really happens in Laurel County. It’s quiet, it’s family-oriented. Everybody looks out for each other.”
More than a dozen first-response agencies are assisting the investigation, according to Laurel County officials. Gov. Andy Beshear was monitoring the case and thanked first responsers for their efforts. Kentucky State Police was aiding the search and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Louisville said in a statement its officers were assisting.
“I understand that the community is seeking more answers, but this is all the information I have at this time,” London Mayor Randall Weddle wrote in a social media post early Sunday morning. “Please remain vigilant and call 911 if you see the individual in question.”
London, with a population of about 7,500, is the county seat for Laurel County. The county sits in the southeast portion of the state and has a population of roughly 63,000, according to a 2020 Census estimate. Part of the Daniel Boone National Forest lies inside county limits.
It’s about 90 miles south of Lexington an 100 miles north of Knoxville, Tennessee.
At the crossroads of I-75 and Highway 80, Laurel County is primed for economic development and growth, according to the London-Laurel Economic Development Authority. The county is home to 17 manufacturers, 12 distribution warehouses and five food production sites.
“I’ve been in law enforcement here for 48 years, and I can never remember a situation such as this in our little county,” Acciarod said.
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Publish date : 2024-09-08 00:53:00
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