A manhunt for a shooter is underway in Laurel County, Kentucky, after reports that multiple people were shot in traffic near Interstate 75, about nine miles north of London. The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said in a 2 a.m. update on Sunday morning that the first officers to arrive at the scene found nine vehicles across both north and southbound lanes of the highway shot, with five people seriously injured.
At around 9 p.m., the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office identified the person of interest in the shooting as Joseph A. Couch, warning that he should be “considered armed and dangerous.”
Authorities described Couch as a 32-year-old white male approximately 5’10” and weighing approximately 154 lbs, from Woodbine, Kentucky.
“If you have any information regarding the whereabouts or location [of] this individual, please contact the London-Laurel County 911 Center by calling 911 or 606-878-7000,” the sheriff’s office said.
Earlier, I-75 was closed in both directions, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department said, in response to an “active shooter situation” near Exit 49 and the U.S. 25.
The I-75 was closed from Exit 41 to 61. The U.S. 25 and K.Y. 909 were also closed, with drivers asked to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear asked people to avoid the area for their safety.
“I am receiving initial reports from the Kentucky State Police and our Office of Homeland Security—together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible,” he said on social media.
Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington, in a Facebook post, urged residents to stay inside.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said in a post on X that it is working with local authorities in response to the “critical incident.”
Drivers were told to “expect significant delays” in the area two hours following the shooting, according to an update by the Mount Vernon Fire Department.
“The time frame for reopening the interstate is currently unknown. Please continue to avoid the area, use alternate routes, and follow detour signs and directions from authorities,” it said.
By 9 p.m., there were still “heavy traffic and delays” along the detour routes, with drivers urged to avoid the area if possible.
The sheriff’s office said at 10 p.m. that the I-75 had been reopened in both directions but the suspect had not been located.
“The scene is being contained overnight and an active search and the continuing investigation will occur at daybreak on Sunday morning,” it said in another update.
Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times