Authorities are searching for shooters along I-75 in southeastern Kentucky. Up to 7 people were injured

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — A police manhunt was underway early Sunday morning for a gunman in a rural area of ​​southeastern Kentucky near Interstate 75. Authorities said seven people were injured in the shooting and a car crash that accompanied the violence.

Saturday's shooting was followed by an intensive search by multiple law enforcement agencies for a suspect. The Laurel County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that it was an “active shooting” and that “numerous people” were shot near the highway.

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, said authorities were notified of gunfire along Interstate 75 around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. When they arrived at the scene in London, a small town of about 8,000 people located about 75 miles south of Lexington, they found numerous vehicles lined up on the side of the road at Exit 49.

“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 on Sunday.

Five people were shot, all in stable condition early Sunday, but some of the victims suffered “very serious” injuries, including one person who was shot in the face, Acciardo said.

Two other people were injured in the car accident, he said.

Police closed traffic on the highway in both directions because they did not know where the bullets came from. “We are still trying to figure that out,” Acciardo said.

Authorities believe there was only one shooter, and Acciardo said she does not believe the shooting was sparked by road rage.

Officers from several law enforcement agencies searched a remote wooded area but eventually called off the search because of darkness. The search will resume at daybreak on Sunday, he said.

“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,” said Acciardo.

The sheriff's office said a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting. He is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. The man's name was given as Joseph A. Couch, a 32-year-old white male. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to call the county's emergency dispatch center.

Acciardo noted that authorities “have not yet determined whether this is actually the person who fired the gun.”

Laurel County state lawmakers urged area residents to stay home while police continue to search for the shooter.

“Without a doubt, this is an act of senseless violence that does not reflect the values ​​of this community, our Commonwealth or its people,” it said in a statement.

The highway was closed 14 kilometers north of London, but was reopened about three hours later, according to the sheriff's office.

In a video update on Facebook late Saturday night, London Mayor Randall Weddle sought to calm fears as the search for the gunman continues, 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 support in any way possible,” Governor Andy Beshear said in a post on the social platform X. “Please pray for everyone involved.”