Authorities search for suspect in Kentucky highway shooting and find SUV and rifle

LONDON, Kentucky. — Authorities searched a rugged and hilly area of ​​southeastern Kentucky on Sunday for a man suspected of shooting at nine vehicles and wounding five people on a busy highway.

Joseph A. Couch, 32, was named a suspect in Saturday's shooting on Interstate 75 after authorities found his SUV on an access road near the crime scene. They later found a semi-automatic weapon nearby that they believe was used in the shooting, said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.

The search focused on the remote area around the shooting scene north of London, a community of about 8,000 residents about 75 miles south of Lexington.

“We're going to go in and find this guy,” Acciardo told reporters as police officers rushed to find Couch before it got dark in the remote, heavily wooded area.

Authorities believe Couch is armed and dangerous and warned passersby who might see him not to approach.

Couch is from Woodbine, a small community about 20 miles south of the crime scene. Acciardo said police targeted him on Saturday after they found his abandoned vehicle. Investigators found an AR-15 rifle in a raised wooded area next to the highway on Sunday, “from which he may have fired shots onto the highway,” Acciardo said.

Couch was initially considered a person of interest in the case until he was upgraded to a suspect on Sunday based on “everything” law enforcement has discovered so far, Acciardo said.

Authorities believe there was only one shooter, and Acciardo said they do not believe the shooting was sparked by road rage. He said the shooting appears to have been a “random act” of violence and declined to speculate on a possible motive.

“There has been some speculation, but we are not prepared to comment on it at this point,” he said.

Acciardo said authorities were notified of gunfire along the highway near Exit 49 around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. A man who “was not at that exit” fired several shots into the northbound and southbound lanes, hitting nine vehicles and wounding five people, he said. The shooter was not in a vehicle at the time.

“When our first two units arrived on the scene, they said it was a madhouse: people on the side of the road, hazard lights on, bullet holes, windows shot out, nine vehicles shot at. Can you imagine? Just chaos,” Acciardo said during a press conference.

The injured – one person from Kentucky and the others from another state – were hospitalized in stable condition early Sunday. Some had “very serious” injuries, including one who was shot in the face, Acciardo said.

Laurel County residents were on edge as authorities searched with a drone, helicopter and on foot in a remote and sparsely populated wooded area near the highway.

Acciardo said authorities were “bombarded” with over a hundred calls from people claiming to have seen Couch in places like a grocery store. Laurel County deputies urged area residents to stay home during the search.

Rodney Goodlett, pastor of Faith Assembly of God in London, directed traffic as congregants gathered for a Sunday morning service. He said he expected the searches to reduce attendance. Several local churches canceled their services.

“There are definitely people … who probably won't be here today – they're just nervous because the suspect is still at large,” he said.

Goodlett said the congregation will pray for the community, the injured and first responders, some of whom attend Faith Assembly, where about 275 congregants pray each week.

“It's obviously tragic that someone would randomly commit acts of violence,” he said. “You hear in the media what's happening all over our country, but when you remember it at home, it's a bit of a wake-up call.”

Cody Shepherd, who was sipping a Bloody Mary outside the Pour Boyz Sports Lounge in London on Sunday while waiting to watch a soccer game, said numerous rumors have spawned in the area as the search has progressed.

Shepard, who lives in London, was at a party at a friend's house on Saturday, about 10 miles south of where the shooting occurred.

“We listened to police radios all night,” he said, adding that they heard police sirens blaring throughout the evening and saw a helicopter searching the area in the sky.

Authorities released a photo of Couch and urged residents to be vigilant, but Acciardo said they “have not yet determined if this is actually the person who fired the gun.”

“We have cordoned off the area at the moment. The investigation is still very slow. Our people are still on site. Our special operations team is there. We are trying to find a shooter there,” he said.

Acciardo said the search was dangerous for rescuers and difficult because of the dense foliage. “There is a lot of forest and a lot of cuts in the rock,” he said. “He could be hiding behind a tree and we could come right at him.”

“We just hope for a good solution,” said Acciardo.

In a video update on Facebook late Saturday night, London Mayor Randall Weddle sought to allay fears, urging residents to call 911 if they hear or see anything suspicious near their homes.

“We're asking people not to stand outside the house and shoot because we may have first responders in the area. It's important to know you're safe. We have multiple agencies in this community, in the city of London and in Laurel County,” Weddle said.

Weddle said search crews “know the approximate area where the person is located,” but declined to provide specific details.

“I am receiving initial reports from the Kentucky State Police and our Homeland Security Office – together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering assistance in any way possible,” Governor Andy Beshear said in a post on X. “Please pray for everyone involved.”