London, Kentucky sheriff’s office: 5 injured in I-75 shooting Saturday
Public Affairs Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, Laurel County Sheriff’s office, gives an update Sunday morning on what authorities know about the Interstate 75 shooting.
Authorities in Laurel County, Kentucky believe they have contained the person of interest in a shooting that occurred about eight miles north of London on Interstate 75 Saturday evening within their search area, Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, said.
The shooting caused an hours-long shutdown of Interstate 75 near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, according to a social media post made by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department around 2:30 a.m., Sunday.
Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. Saturday after reports of a gunshot victim on I-75. Upon arrival, officers noticed vehicles parked on the side of the highway with windows shot out and visible bullet holes, Acciardo said. Nine vehicles were found shot at on both sides of the roadway with five individuals injured.
Three gunshot victims were taken to the local Saint Joseph London Hospital for treatment and two others were taken to the UK HealthCare in Lexington, Acciardo said. Some deputies took it upon themselves to immediately transport victims to the hospital due to the severity of their injuries. All the victims are expected to survive, Acciardo said around 9 a.m., Sunday.
Officers determined the shooter was camped out near Exit 49 and shot multiple rounds at traveling cars, Acciardo said.
Authorities closed I-75 for more than three hours while searching for the shooter. The highway reopened around 9:30 p.m., Saturday. Investigators searched the hilly, remote area until about 3 a.m. before pausing the search and securing the area for the night, Acciardo said. The search resumed Sunday around 9 a.m., he added.
A Kentucky State Police helicopter was utilized in the search Saturday night and will likely be involved again. More than a dozen first-response agencies are assisting the investigation, according to Laurel County officials. Special response teams from the U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department are collaborating on the search, Acciardo said.
“I’m sure we’ll use all the resources that we can get up there,” Acciardo said. “We believe he’s in that area up there.”
Acciardo is confident law enforcement has contained the person of interest and will be able to capture him today with the lineup of resources on hand.
“This happened late in the afternoon, close to evening,” Acciardo said. “It’s starting to get dark earlier, and we had very little sunlight to work for us. And we knew when the sun was going down that, you know, we had to stop. You know, we got all day today, all kinds of sunlight.”
32-year-old Joseph A. Couch was identified as a person of interest in the investigation.
“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. “Let’s keep the victims, their families, and all of our first responders in our thoughts and prayers.”
“Be vigilant,” Weddle told WYMT when asked what residents should do. “Stay home and be vigilant there.”
Ophelia Riley, a London native who lives about two hours away in Glasgow, said she travels to London every Sunday for church. She drove to town a day early this week 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.
Kentucky shooting: Local resident talks about incident
Ophelia Riley, native of London, Kentucky, talks about shooting
“I’ve been out all night just running around because I couldn’t sleep,” Riley said.
An event like this, she said, is far from typical for the community.
“Nothing really happens in Laurel County. It’s quiet, it’s family-oriented. Everybody looks out for each other,” Riley said.
Acciardo agreed with her assessment.
“I’ve been in law enforcement here for 48 years, and I can never remember a situation such as this in our little county here,” Acciardo said.
Who is Joseph Couch?
Joseph A. Couch, 32, was identified by Laurel County deputies as a person of interest in the investigation. He’s described as a white male, 5-foot-10, weighing approximately 154 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities are advising people to not approach him.
Acciardo, the spokesperson for Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, said there isn’t enough information to consider Couch a suspect at this time, but he anticipates he could be considered as more information is uncovered Sunday.
“We’re not listing him as a suspect at this point, but he probably will, more than likely be a suspect before day’s end,” he said.
Couch resides south of Laurel County in Whitley County, Acciardo said.
Officials have not released any additional information on Couch as the search continues.
Where is London, Kentucky?
The shooting incident broke out near London, a city in Laurel County, Kentucky.
The rural 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 and 154 miles southeast of Louisville.
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.
What happened on I-75 in London, Kentucky?
Five people were injured in the shooting on I-75 near London, Kentucky, Saturday evening, according to officials. All five victims are expected to survive.
Laurel County officials first announced the closure of I-75 on social media around 6:36 p.m. Saturday. The highway remained deadlocked until it was reopened around 9:30 p.m.
The search for the shooter is active as of Sunday morning.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66ddc1c0cf2e431f971552cd932858be&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2024%2F09%2F08%2Fkentucky-shooting-the-latest-on-the-i-75-shooting%2F75128979007%2F&c=15333117435477893345&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-08 00:38:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
