Authorities on Sunday pressed their search in a remote wooded area of Kentucky for a man wanted in what they said was a planned shooting on an interstate that left five people seriously wounded and nine vehicles riddled with gunfire.
Joseph A Couch, was reclassified from a person of interest to a suspect Sunday afternoon after police recovered a vehicle that was registered in his name, a weapon near the vehicle and other unspecified information uncovered during the investigation.
Progress in the search has been slow, according to authorities, who lost daylight Saturday soon after being called to Interstate 75 at Exit 49, about 8 miles north of London, at about 5:30 pm Saturday.
The weapon, an AR-15 rifle found Sunday in a wooded area next to the interstate, was believed to have been used in the shooting.
Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters Sunday that all five victims were expected to survive and were in stable condition.
Investigators believe the attack was planned but the individuals were not targeted.
A motive for the shooting was unclear but Acciardo said Couch was “committed” to his plan. He did not provide more details. Investigators were unsure if Couch had supplies or weapons in the wilderness where they believe he was hiding.
Acciardo said that the gunman had not fired from a vehicle and that the shooting was not a case of road rage.
Officials found a small SUV registered to Couch at the top of a hill near the interstate Saturday night. The AR-15 was found Sunday “some distance” from the vehicle, Acciardo said. It was unclear to whom the weapon was registered.
He said the gunman could have fired from the wooded area next to the interstate near where the rifle was found. A rifle case was recovered in the vehicle, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. A phone was also found, but its battery was removed, Acciardo said.
He said law enforcement officers have been to the home of Couch, who has had “minor infractions” with the law.
Acciardo described a chaotic scene Saturday night, with several cars parked on the shoulder of the interstate with their emergency lights flashing and officers sorting through inaccurate reports about what had happened.
Deputies rushed some of the wounded to the hospital because of the severity of their injuries, Acciardo told The Courier Journal. Among the injuries, one person was shot in the face, another in the arm and another in the chest, Acciardo said.
Authorities found nine vehicles damaged by gunfire, including bullet holes and windows that were shot out.
The search for the gunman was suspended until daybreak Sunday because of the danger posed to law enforcement officials if they searched in the thickly wooded area at night. The search was to continue Sunday until authorities run out of daylight.
Authorities were relying on 40 to 50 people, as well as dogs, a helicopter and a drone with an infrared scanner to help in the search.
“The area, it’s so remote, that’s probably one of the most remote exits along I-75,” Acciardo said. “He couldn’t have picked an area that’s anymore remote and difficult for us to try to locate him.”
Acciardo said that although authorities believed Couch was in the woods, they did not want to rule out that he could be somewhere else. He urged residents to be vigilant and to avoid the search area.
He said there were a lot of rocks in the area being searched, which could provide cover from the drone and those looking on the ground.
“He could be hiding behind a tree and us walk right up on him,” Acciardo said.