Central Kentucky children told to stay home from school as I-75 shooting suspect evades capture for third day

Joseph Couch, 32, has evaded capture since Saturday afternoon, when authorities say he fired an AR-15 from a cliff ledge on the side of the interstate about nine miles north of London, Kentucky, striking 12 cars and wounding five people.

Though his motive is still unknown, the attack appeared to be a “random act” of violence, Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Acciardo said, according to The Associated Press.

Kentucky State Police are continuing search efforts for Couch, who authorities say is considered armed and dangerous.

An arrest warrant has been issued charging Couch with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, Jackie Steele, the commonwealth attorney for Laurel and Knox Counties, told CNN.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to Couch’s arrest, Steele said.

Couch could still be armed and hiding anywhere in the the vast, densely wooded area near where his AR-15, ammunition, car and possibly his phone were found, Laurel County Sheriff John Root said Sunday night. Just hours before the shooting, Couch legally purchased a firearm and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition, sheriff’s office officials said.

“This message is to him: You can run, but you can’t hide,” London Mayor Randall Weddle said on CNN Monday afternoon.

“We have some of the best agencies in the United States right here in the state of Kentucky, and I am confident they’re going to catch him,” he added.

It is possible Couch has killed himself somewhere in the wilderness, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Richard Dalrymple said Sunday.

Alongside helicopters, drones and K-9 teams, ground crews are scouring a mountainous search area that spans thousands of acres and is crisscrossed with trails for all-terrain vehicles, according to the sheriff and Kentucky State Police spokesperson Scottie Pennington. In some places, they are using machetes to slice through thick brush, Pennington said.

Until Couch is found, law enforcement is warning the community to stay vigilant for any signs of him and take steps to keep their homes safe.

“You need to lock your doors. If you have security cameras, make sure you’re constantly watching them, maybe keep your porch lights on,” Pennington advised residents. “Have your cell phone and make sure your phones are charged up because you never know when you might have to contact somebody or law enforcement.”

Safety concerns also led more than a dozen area school districts and several private schools to cancel classes Monday, including those in Laurel, Jackson and Clay counties.

There could be more school closures if Couch remains on the loose, London’s mayor told CNN Monday, but “that will ultimately be up to the school systems.”

Though none of the victims of Saturday’s shooting were killed, some were left with “very severe” injuries, including a person who was shot in the face and another “across the chest,” according to Acciardo. Others were “critically hurt” but were in stable condition Sunday, he said.

Couch served in the Army Reserve for roughly six years between 2013 and 2019 as a combat engineer. He had no deployments and was a private – the Army’s lowest enlisted rank – at the end his of service, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro told CNN in a statement.

Couch has a “very minimal” criminal record in the state, according to Steele. He was charged with terroristic threatening, but the charge was dismissed earlier this year, Steele said. No other details on the charge were given.

The suspect had no “red flags” and all his purchases were legal, Weddle told CNN.

Authorities searched the suspect’s house Sunday evening and are hoping to gain insight from electronic devices found inside, Dalrymple said.

Speaking at the news conference Sunday night, Root urged the suspect to turn himself in.

“We’re not going to quit until we do lay hands on him,” Root said, adding, “This effort is not going to stop.”