Manhunt underway after 5 people injured in Kentucky shooting near Interstate 75, officials say

By Raja Razek and Emma Tucker, CNN

(CNN) — A manhunt is underway for a suspect after five people were injured in a shooting Saturday near an interstate in a rural area of Laurel County, Kentucky, located south of Lexington, according to the sheriff’s office.

All five victims are in stable condition, and authorities are searching for one shooter, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office Public Affairs Deputy Gilbert Acciardo told CNN.

The active shooter situation occurred near Interstate 75, about nine miles north of the city of London, where “numerous persons have been shot,” said the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

Responding deputies later discovered nine vehicles had been shot into on both north and southbound lanes of the interstate, the sheriff’s office said. All five people injured had sustained gunshot injuries, Acciardo told CNN.

The London Police Department has identified 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch as a person of interest who is considered “armed and dangerous.” He is described as a White man, roughly 5 foot, 10 inches, weighing about 154 pounds, police said.

“We know the general area where this individual is,” London Mayor Randall Weddle said in a Saturday night video update, adding that he will not provide further specifics.

London, Kentucky, is located around 80 miles south of Lexington.

The police department urged people to contact their 911 call center with “any information regarding the whereabouts or location on this individual.”

Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington said via social media the suspect “has not been caught at this time. We are urging people to stay inside.” Law enforcement will provide “as much information as it becomes available,” he added.

The interstate was reopened on Saturday evening after it was closed for roughly three hours from exit 41 to exit 59, both northbound and southbound lanes, due to the active shooting, according to the Mount Vernon Fire Department.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Louisville said in a statement its officers were responding and assisting the Kentucky State Police and local authorities with a “critical incident” near Interstate 75.

Mayor Weddle said authorities were searching for the suspect or suspects in “rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines,” which may hamper their efforts, according to his video posted to Facebook around 8 p.m. local time.

Weddle urged everyone within city limits to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings. “If you’re home, keep your doors locked. I’m not asking everybody to panic. There is no immediate danger here in the city but again, while these guys or this person is on the loose, we are asking everybody to be safe,” he said.

“If you think you hear something outside of your home, please do not go outside shooting,” Weddle said. “Our officers could be in that area or first responders. Call 911.”

The spasm of gun violence erupted just days after a mass shooting left four people dead and nine others hospitalized at a high school in Winder, Georgia — and less than a week after a half-dozen people driving on an interstate in the Seattle area were injured by a spree shooter.

Gov. Andy Beshear said in an earlier statement on X: “Kentucky, we are aware of a shooting on I-75 in Laurel County. Law enforcement has shut the interstate down in both directions at exit 49. Please avoid the area. We will provide more details once they are available.”

“Together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible. Please pray for everyone involved,” he said in another statement.

One woman who was driving on Interstate 75 with a friend from Rochester, New York, to Knoxville, Tennessee, gave harrowing details about the shooting in an interview with CNN. When they reached London, Christina DiNoto said she and her friend heard a “loud noise.”

“We were just driving along, and all of a sudden, it was like a rock went through my back window, and it hurt my ear,” DiNoto said. “And we looked at each other and we were like, ‘Was that a gunshot?’ And then we’re like, ‘No, that wasn’t a gunshot.’”

DiNoto said she noticed a truck driving next to her car slowed down and pulled off to the shoulder of the interstate, so she initially thought they had a tire blowout. She said they saw several police cars drive by at a high speed and “so many” tires on the side of the interstate.

It wasn’t until roughly an hour and a half later DiNoto and her friend learned about the shooting. When they arrived at a friend’s house, they noticed what appeared to be paint scrapes on the back of her car.

“My hands are still shaking,” said DiNoto, who added she feels incredibly lucky.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Sara Smart and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.