Manhunt for armed & dangerous I-75 mass shooting suspect continues for 5th day

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky law enforcement officials are still searching for a suspect in a mass shooting that happened on I-75 over the weekend.

Kentucky State Police is leading the ongoing manhunt for 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch of Woodbine, Ky.

The fifth day of the manhunt began Wednesday morning.

Police say Couch shot five people on I-75 in Laurel County on Saturday evening.

He is described as 5′10″ and 154 pounds.

The public is asked not to engage the suspect; instead, they should contact law enforcement since he is still considered armed and dangerous.

KSP encourages anyone with information on his whereabouts to call any of the following law enforcement agencies:

• KSP Post 11 London: 606-878-6622
• Crime Stoppers: 606-682-1013
• County Communication: 606-878-7000
• Laurel County Sheriff’s Office: 606-864-6600

A reward totaling $35,000 has been offered for information that leads to Couch’s arrest. $15,000 of that reward is coming from Kentucky State Police. $20,000 of that reward is coming from private donors.

Officials with Daniel Boone National Forest announced that they are closing the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail between US-421 and KY-192 to support the ongoing search efforts.

“Right now, this is a crime scene, and we need to respect that the authorities need to be able to find evidence and to keep the public safe,” said Katherine L. Stone, Sheltowee Trace Association board member.

An estimated 40 to 50 law enforcement officers have been actively searching a remote and wooded area near exit 49 off I-75.

Officials with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office say they have exhausted their resources and are turning over the search to KSP. Laurel County will continue to assist.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, warrants have been obtained for Joseph Couch.

The warrants charge Couch with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault. More charges may be added later, including criminal mischief and wanton endangerment.

Officials say twelve vehicles were hit by gunfire.

They estimate at least twenty to thirty rounds were fired.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office confirms Couch purchased an AR-15 legally from a local business on Saturday.

Officials searched Couch’s home on Sunday.

County attorneys say Couch was charged with terroristic threatening in Knox County back in February, but the charge was dismissed.

CBS News confirmed with a U.S. Army spokesperson that Couch was in the Army Reserve for six years. The Kentucky National Guard clarified that contrary to previous reports, Couch was never a member of the National Guard.

In a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, Kentucky State Police said they have not ruled out widening the scope of the search, but they said they do not have any indication that he has left the area.

“Some people say, ‘what if he’s not alive anymore?’ Well, we’re going to stay in the woods until we find him.”

Laurel County Sheriff John Root said “We are doing everything we can. We’re out in full force and I’m confident that this guy will be brought to justice and located soon.”

In a Sunday afternoon press conference, Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Acciardo confirmed the search for Couch remains ongoing. Federal, state, and local agencies are working together. He says the London Laurel Rescue Squad’s drone is in the air, using infrared technology to assist in the search. Acciardo says they’re searching a thick, wooded area, making the search difficult.

Acciardo says late Saturday night, a vehicle belonging to Couch was located near a Forest Service Road off of I-75 exit 49. The vehicle that was found and registered to Couch was a silver Toyota SUV. He calls finding the car “a lucky break,” allowing them to identify Couch as a person of interest. He credits locating the vehicle to “good police work.”

Due to the vehicle’s location, deputies believe Couch was not shooting from his vehicle. The vehicle was located off a forest service road. They say Couch likely would have had to walk toward the interstate.

Sunday afternoon, Deputy Acciardo announced an AR-15 was found in this area. He says they believe the AR-15 was the weapon used in Saturday’s mass shooting. They’re still waiting for ballistics to confirm this. Several fully charged magazines were also found in the area. Acciardo says they have not yet confirmed who the AR-15 is registered to.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office is still urging people to avoid the area. While they believe Couch is on the county’s north end, Acciardo says he could “pop up anywhere.”

Acciardo says this was “definitely not” a road rage situation. However, a motive has not been determined.

Laurel County Sheriff John Root says deputies were originally called for a report of a gunshot victim around 5:30 p.m. Saturday on I-75 near exit 49.

When deputies arrived, they found twelve vehicles had been shot into in both the north and southbound lanes. Five people were found to be seriously injured. Deputy Acciardo shared in a press conference on Sunday afternoon that one individual was shot in the face, one individual was shot in the arm and another was shot across the chest. Acciardo reiterated the severity of the injuries, saying, “We didn’t have a fatality, but we certainly had some very serious injuries that will affect these people for the rest of their lives.”

Deputies on the scene transported the injured to a local hospital for treatment. London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT that the five victims were stable.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of the victims hurt in a mass shooting.

The five people hurt are Rebecca Puryear, Norma Liberia, Renee Walker, Janet Booth and Erick Tavin.

Puryear’s GoFundMe link can be accessed here

A spokesperson with UK hospital said they received three patients. One of them has been discharged. The remaining two patients are both in “good” condition.

Agencies that assisted in the search throughout the evening included: London City police, Kentucky State Police, Corbin City Police, Williamsburg City Police, Richmond City Police, FBI, US Marshal service, ATF, Lexington Metro, Rockcastle County Sheriff’s office, Mount Vernon Police Department, East Bernstadt Fire and Rescue, London Fire Department, London – Laurel County Rescue Squad, Laurel County Emergency Management, ABC, Bluegrass Army Depot Police, and numerous area fire departments.

This is a developing story.

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