At least five people have been shot along a highway in the US state of Kentucky, police said Saturday (local time), as authorities in the southern state hunt for a “Person of Interest.” All the victims are in stable condition and authorities are searching for one shooter, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
The office had earlier reported that Interstate 75 was closed in both directions due to the “active shooter situation.” “The Suspect has not been caught at this time we are urging people to stay inside,” Trooper Scottie Pennington of Kentucky State Police said in a post on Facebook.
Suspect Identified
The shooting took place in London, Kentucky, which is about 80 miles south of the city of Lexington. The London Police Department has identified 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch as a person of interest in an ongoing investigation, CNN reported. Couch is described as a White man, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighing around 154 pounds.
State authorities have urged anyone with information on Couch’s whereabouts to contact the 911 call center. The sheriff’s office also announced that a “Person of Interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered “armed and dangerous” and people should not approach him.
@ATFLouisville agents are responding and assisting @kystatepolice and local authorities with a critical incident near Interstate 75 in Laurel County. pic.twitter.com/Xz6lHhI5au— ATF Louisville (@ATFLouisville) September 7, 2024
Kentucky Guv ‘monitoring the situation’
The rural county, where the shooting took place, is some 145 kilometers south of the city of Lexington along I-75, a major north-south artery cutting across the eastern half of the United States. A “heavy presence of police and fire personnel” was on the scene and “working diligently to address the situation,” the Mount Vernon Fire Department said in a statement. It advised motorists to avoid I-75 and US 25.
“I am receiving initial reports from the Kentucky State Police and our Office of Homeland Security — together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on the social platform X. “Please pray for everyone involved.” “We will provide more details once they are available,” Beshear said.
(With agency inputs)
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