Shooting on Interstate 75 in Kentucky, US, leaves 5 injured; suspect remains at large

Five people were injured after the shooting that occurred last Saturday, September 7, 2024, in the afternoon on Interstate 75, near London, Kentucky (USA), without any fatalities, the town’s mayor, Randall Weddle, assured local media.

The London official also confirmed to The Courier-Journal that others had been injured in a minor traffic accident caused by the gunshots. The interstate, which was closed for nearly three hours due to the incident, was reopened around 9:30 p.m. local time.

Some victims were taken to St Joseph’s Hospital in London, and three suffered head and facial trauma, as reported by Weddle.

Police in northern Kentucky continue to search for the 32-year-old man identified as Joseph A. Couch, who managed to flee the area aboard a blue Ford pickup truck with a silver roof, according to a report by local media outlet Lex 18 News.

Authorities are searching for the suspect in a “active investigation” and have described Couch as “armed and dangerous” after shooting at “numerous people” in a rural area of ​​the state.

They asked the public to provide information if they know details about the suspect or his location.

Likewise still The alleged attacker’s reasons for shooting are unknown. from a wooded area or overpass into vehicles traveling on Interstate 75, near exit 49.

The only image that came from the scene shows a series of cars crossed or stopped in the middle of a highway with their doors open, scene that seems to indicate that they were abandoned in a hurry.

At the time, local police closed the section of the highway and diverted traffic, while authorities issued several calls to avoid the area, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear asked on his X account to “pray for all those involved.”

Shortly afterwards, and while participating in a dinner, the Democratic Party recalled in a statement that Americans should not live in fear to be shot while crossing a bridge.

“We have to do better,” he said, referring to the controversial gun control issue, which Republicans and some Democrats oppose because they consider gun ownership a fundamental constitutional right.