John Jefferson
A manhunt resumed in southeastern Kentucky early Sunday as law enforcement searched for a gunman who authorities say opened fire near Interstate 75, injuring seven people in the shooting and a car accident.
Law enforcement agencies are combing the area along the highway on foot and with a drone after the shooting unfolded Saturday around 6 p.m. near exit 49, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities have named Joseph A. Couch, 32, a person of interest in the shooting, and warned the public he is considered armed and dangerous.
Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told reporters that authorities “have not determined that this is the individual that fired the weapon.”
KENTUCKY POLICE IDENTIFY SUBJECT OF MANHUNT AFTER ‘NUMEROUS’ PEOPLE SHOT ON HIGHWAY
Investigators believe there was only one shooter, according to Acciardo, and they do not believe that road rage was a factor leading up to the shooting.
Police initially responded to reports that a suspect was shooting at drivers from an overpass or a wooded area, multiple media accounts have said.
London Mayor Randall Weddle previously said that no deaths have been reported.
Acciardo said five people were shot and were all in stable condition early Sunday, although some of the victims had “very serious” injuries, including one person who was shot in the face.
Two other people were hurt in the vehicle accident, he said.
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Weddle noted in an address to the public on social media that the search area includes “some rugged terrain and a lot of treeline.”
“I’m not asking anybody to panic, there is no immediate danger here in the city, but again… we are asking everybody to be safe,” the mayor said, adding that residents should be “vigilant” as police search for Couch.
Couch is described as a White man about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 154 pounds.
London, around 80 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, has a population of about 7,600.
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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