A shooting incident just off I-75 near the Laurel-Rockcastle County line Saturday evening has led to a manhunt in that area, and surrounding areas, with authorities naming Joseph A. Couch of Woodbine as a person of interest.
Update: A $15,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to Couch’s arrest. He is believed to be responsible for the shooting of five people on I-75 near the 49-mile marker about 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Laurel County Sheriff’s Public Affairs Deputy Gilbert Acciardo confirmed Monday afternoon that an anonymous donor is offering up a $10,000 reward for information leading to Couch’s arrest.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) have announced that Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Couch’s arrest.
Anyone with information about Couch’s whereabouts is asked to call KSP Post 11 at (606) 878-6622, London-Laurel County E-911 dispatch center at (606) 878-7000, or Crime Stoppers at (606) 682-1013.
Acciardo also confirmed that deputies had obtained arrest warrants for Couch Monday on five counts of first-degree assault and five counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting.
Sheriff John Root said that a total of five people were shot, but there were no fatalities. All five victims are expected to recover.
Authorities are still combing the woods searching for Couch in what is described as an extremely rugged and remote area.
Sheriff’s Capt. Richard Dalrymple, who is leading the investigation, said that the shooter legally obtained the AR-15 rifle that is believed to have been used in the shooting and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition from a store in London Saturday morning.
Dalrymple said that authorities believe Couch fired 20-30 shots striking a dozen vehicles. Some vehicle were shot more than once and others didn’t know their vehicle had been shot until they got home.
Police have since recovered the suspect’s vehicle, the AR-15 rifle and most of the ammunition.
Authorities believe Couch allegedly fired from a ridge overlooking I-75.
Authorities have said that they don’t have a motive yet for the shooting, or at least a motive that they can disclose at this time.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele said that Couch has a very minimal criminal record.
“There was nothing in his criminal history that made me think, ‘Oh, we should have known this was coming,'” Steele said during a press conference Sunday evening.
Laurel County Attorney Jodi Albright added, “I have confidence he will be brought to justice and justice will be served.”
Authorities haven’t ruled out the possibility that Couch killed himself and the body hasn’t been found yet.
Couch is originally from the Knox-Whitley County area. He served in the Kentucky National Guard for at least four years.
UPDATE: In a press briefing Sunday afternoon, Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, public affairs officer with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, informed members of the media that a vehicle registered in Couch’s name was located in the area where the shooting occurred. This led to authorities naming Couch as a person of interest, and subsequently resulted in the still-ongoing manhunt.
Acciardo said that an AR-15 rifle has been recovered in a wooded area next to the interstate in a location that he [Couch] “could have shot down upon the interstate from.” He added that investigators believe this is the weapon that was used in Saturday’s shooting.
As for Couch’s possible whereabouts, Acciardo said that reports have been received that would indicate he has traveled to a different area, but for now, investigators are still assuming that he is still somewhere in the general vicinity of the shooting and are continuing to focus the majority of their efforts along the I-75 corridor in northern Laurel County and southern Rockcastle County.
When asked about a possible motive, Acciardo said there is some speculation about what led to Saturday’s violent act, but nothing definite is being made known at this time. In an update on the condition of the victims, Acciardo said that they are all still being reported as “stable.”
Another briefing is expected to take place soon.
ORIGINAL: An update provided by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department in the early morning hours Sunday said deputies were called out by the London-Laurel County 911 Dispatch Center to a gunshot victim complaint on I-75 at Exit 49, approximately eight miles north of London, on Saturday afternoon at approximately 5:30 PM.
“Arriving deputies found nine vehicles had been shot into both north and south bound on I-75 and five persons were seriously injured,” the sheriff’s department statement went on to say. “Deputies on scene transported injured to a local hospital for treatment. Other sheriff’s deputies, along with the sheriff’s office special response team, London City Police and Kentucky State Police arrived at the scene to secure the scene, and search for a suspect.”
Due to safety concerns, traffic on I-75 was shut down at Exit 49 for an extended period of time before eventually being re-opened just after 9 PM.
The sheriff’s office statement goes on to name Couch as a person of interest, describing him as being 32 years old from the Woodbine area, standing approximately 5′ 10″ and weighing approximately 154 pounds.
At this time, the search for Couch is still underway. Authorities are reminding citizens to not approach anyone believed to be Couch, as he should be considered armed and dangerous. If anyone does have information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the London-Laurel 911 Center by calling 911 or (606) 878-7000.
London Mayor Randall Weddle posted a video update on the City of London Facebook page late Saturday evening where he thanked all of the agencies that were contributing to the search for Couch. He also offered an update on the injured, saying he had been informed of a total of seven injuries, with no fatalities being reported at that time.
Assisting agencies include: London City Police, Kentucky State Police, Corbin City Police, Williamsburg City Police, Richmond City Police, FBI, US Marshal service, ATF, Lexington Metro, Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Vernon Police Department, East Bernstadt Fire and Rescue, London Fire Department, London-Laurel County Rescue Squad, Laurel County Emergency Management, ABC, Bluegrass Army Depot Police, and numerous other area fire departments.
Additional updates will be provided as soon as new information becomes available.
