Suspected Kentucky highway shooter still on the run 48 hours after attack

A man who allegedly opened fire near Interstate 75 in Kentucky over the weekend was still at large Monday afternoon, evading federal, local and state authorities.

The suspect, 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch, opened fire near Exit 49 around 6 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. The gunman fired 20 to 30 shots, hitting 12 vehicles.

According to an affidavit from the Laurel County Sheriff's Office obtained by WYMT, the Laurel County dispatch center received a call from a woman who claimed she had received text messages from Couch saying he was going to “kill a lot of people.”

According to the affidavit, Couch also wrote: “I'm going to kill myself after this.”

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I-75 in Kentucky, next suspect: Joseph Couch. (AP; FBI)

The Lexington Herald-Leader identified the woman who received Couch's messages as his ex-wife.

State Trooper Scottie Pennington gave an update on the manhunt on Monday afternoon and described the search as a “methodical operation, similar to a game of hide and seek.”

“Our goal is to apply constant pressure and tire Mr. Couch out,” Pennington said. “Hopefully he doesn't get any water or food.”

Pennington said Crouch has military experience as he was in the U.S. Army Reserve but was discharged.

The U.S. Army said Couch was a Level 12B combat engineer in the Army Reserve from March 2013 to January 2019.

“At the end of his service, he was a private. He was never deployed,” the US Army said.

Pennington compared the surrounding forests to a jungle with rock walls, sinkholes, caves and culverts.

Joseph Couch is still on the run 48 hours after police say he opened fire near a Kentucky highway. (WDKY/London Police Department)

He called on the public to contact the authorities if they notice any suspicious activity.

“If you notice anything strange in your area, when you come home and your doors don't look the way you left them, go back out and call someone,” Pennington said. “When you're home, don't stay alone. Always carry your cell phone with you. Make sure you have phone access.”

According to authorities, the search area is surrounded by dense forest. (Mayor Randall Weddle)

Authorities have been combing the rugged, hilly area near London, a small town of about 8,000 people about 75 miles south of Lexington.

On Sunday, authorities seized a vehicle and an AR-15 rifle during the search for the suspect.

Trees stand in wooded areas along Interstate 75 near Livingston, Kentucky, on Sunday, September 8, 2024, as police search for a suspect in a shooting along the interstate Saturday. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

According to the affidavit, Couch is charged with five counts each of attempted murder and first-degree assault.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to Couch's arrest.

Authorities are searching for Couch near Exit 49 on I-75. (Mayor Randall Weddle)

More than a dozen school districts across much of southeastern Kentucky were closed Monday as the grueling search for Couch entered its third day.

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Couch was last known to live in Woodbine, a small community about 20 miles south of the crime scene. Authorities said he bought the gun and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition in London on Saturday morning.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the search, including the FBI, ATF, London City Police and Laurel County Sheriff's Department.