By Joseph Ax and Rich McKay
(Reuters) – Kentucky police resumed a manhunt on Sunday morning for a suspected gunman who authorities say opened fire on vehicles traveling a rural stretch of Interstate 75 on Saturday, injuring seven people.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday that the search had resumed with the help of numerous law enforcement agencies, including a drone equipped with infrared technology.
The incident began around 5:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) about nine miles outside the small city of London in southeastern Kentucky, when officers responded to reports of gunshots at vehicles on the highway. The shots came from somewhere off the highway, not from a vehicle, Deputy Gilbert Acciardo of the sheriff’s office told reporters on Sunday.
“When our units arrived on scene, they noted several vehicles parked on the shoulder with emergency flashers going, windows shot out, obvious bullet holes in the vehicles,” Acciardo said, adding that several people were severely injured.
Five people suffered gunshot wounds and were in stable condition despite some serious injuries, including one victim who was shot in the face, according to local media reports.
Two other people were injured in vehicle accidents during the attack. Nine vehicles were struck by bullets in all, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities have identified a person of interest, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, and warned the public he is considered “armed and dangerous” and should not be approached.
The shooting shut down the highway for several hours.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a post on X that it had dispatched agents to assist.
The shooting took place three days after two students and two teachers were killed, and nine others wounded, at a high school in Winder, Georgia.
A 14-year-old student and his father, suspected of giving his son access to the gun used in the shooting, have been charged.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
