An ‘armed and dangerous’ gunman, who was released just last month after making terrorist threats, was on the run in Kentucky after allegedly shooting five people near a highway.
Army vet Joseph Couch, 32, was at large Saturday night several hours after the shooting unfolded at around 6pm local time near the town of London, Kentucky, before he allegedly fled the scene into a wooded area.
Couch is described as a white male, approximately 5’10, 154lbs, and was reportedly arrested last month on charges of making terroristic threats, but was out on a $1,000 bond. According to his social media profiles, Couch is a US Army veteran.
Five people were injured in the shooting and are in stable condition, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. There are no reported fatalities.
Early reports indicate a gunman may have fired randomly at cars on the highway, with an image shared to social media purportedly from the incident showing a vehicle’s back window smashed after it was struck by a bullet.
Several people have been shot in Kentucky near Interstate 75 after a gunman opened fire before fleeing into the woods
Authorities named Joseph A. Couch, 32, as the suspect in the shooting. He is described as a white male, approximately 5’10, 154lbs, and should be considered armed and dangerous
Early reports indicate a gunman may have fired randomly at cars on the highway, with an image shared to social media purportedly from the incident showing a vehicle’s back window smashed after it was struck by a bullet
ATF agents were quickly scrambled to the area to assist in the search alongside Kentucky State Police, the agency said in a statement to X.
Several helicopters were dispatched to the scene, and locators show they spent several hours on Saturday evening circling over a wooded area near the highway.
According to a social media profile purportedly belonging to Couch, he is a US Army veteran who lives in the Corbin, Kentucky area.
He was arrested last month on charges of terroristic threatening in the third-degree, and was released on a $1,000 bond.
The status of his case is not clear, however Kentucky has some of the loosest gun laws in the nation, including not requiring a background check or permit to buy a firearm.
Couch was also previously arrested in 2020 on charges of DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to maintain insurance.
Couch was arrested last month on charges of terroristic threatening in the third-degree (seen in his August booking mugshot), and was released on a $1,000 bond
Couch (seen in an image from his Facebook profile unrelated to the alleged shooting) is a US Army veteran who lives in the Corbin, Kentucky area, according to his social media
The suspect remains at large, with Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington saying on social media the gunman ‘has not been caught at this time.’
‘We are urging people to stay inside,’ Pennington added.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on X that his office is ‘aware’ of the active shooter situation, as he urged locals to ‘please avoid the area.’
‘Together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible. Please pray for everyone involved,’ Beshear said.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office released this image of police scrambling to the scene
Authorities closed off large sections of the I-75 highway around the scene, causing ‘significant delays’ as traffic built up
The mayor of London, Kentucky, Randall Weddle, said on Facebook that people should ‘not be anywhere in that area’ and warned drivers to find alternative routes.
Weddle said authorities were searching through ‘rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines’ that may take some time to comb through.
Drivers on I-75 reported that heavy traffic has built up in the area after police closed down large sections of the highway.
The Mount Vernon Fire Department told drivers in the area to expect ‘significant delays’ as a result of the police action on the interstate.