Gunman Remains at Large After Opening Fire on Interstate
Schools in Laurel County, Kentucky, reopened with increased security measures following a shooting incident on September 7, where a suspect, Joseph Couch, fired on vehicles along Interstate 75, injuring five. Authorities are still searching for Couch, focusing on a wooded area near London, Kentucky. To ensure safety, school officials coordinated with law enforcement to enhance security at campuses, bus routes, and extracurricular activities. Police heightened patrols and advised parents to keep children indoors until buses arrived. The community’s support during this challenging time has been appreciated, and students had previously transitioned to virtual learning in the aftermath of the attack. The search for Couch continues, with warnings issued to residents to stay vigilant. Couch has previously made threats in text messages prior to the incident, and investigators discovered a rifle and ammunition linked to him near the site of the shooting.
Schools reopened with extra security on Tuesday in the rural Kentucky county where a gunman who remains at large opened fire on an interstate highway, hitting a dozen vehicles and wounding five people.
As authorities continue searching for the shooter, public schools in Laurel County were in session for the first time since the assailant sprayed bullets onto Interstate 75 on September 7. The search for the suspected gunman, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, has focused on a rugged, wooded area near London, a city of about 8,000 people roughly 75 miles south of Lexington.
School administrators in Laurel County worked with law enforcement agencies on the district’s reopening plan, which provides enhanced security for buses, school campuses and extra-curricular activities.
Police increased patrols along most rural bus routes in the southeastern Kentucky school district, administrators said in a message on the district’s website. Parents were urged to keep their children inside, if possible, until the bus arrived. Law enforcement bolstered its presence to monitor each school campus, and patrols were increased for after-school events.
“We appreciate the support, trust and cooperation of our families and the community as we safely return to school,” the district said in its message.
Students had shifted to virtual learning for several days after the shooting.
Police have urged area residents to be vigilant and look out for their neighbors as searchers try to track down the suspect. The area where Couch is presumed to be hiding has cliff beds, sinkholes, caves and dense brush.
The day after the shooting, law enforcement officers searched an area near where Couch’s vehicle was found, with a view of I-75. There, they found an Army-style duffel bag, ammunition and spent shell casings, authorities said in an arrest warrant affidavit.
A short distance away, they found an AR-15 rifle with a sight mounted to the weapon and several additional magazines. The duffel bag had “Couch” handwritten in black marker. Couch fired 20 to 30 rounds in the attack, investigators said.
Shortly before the shooting, Couch wrote in a text message: “I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well try at least.” In a separate text message, Couch wrote, “I’ll kill myself afterwards.” The messages were revealed in the affidavit.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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