Authorities reported a shooting incident on Saturday near the southeastern Kentucky city of London, where multiple people were shot along a highway. A manhunt is currently underway for the gunman.
Around 7 p.m. local time, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office stated that “numerous people were shot” on Interstate 75, prompting a closure about nine miles north of London. The highway was reopened shortly before 9:30 p.m., but the suspect remains at large.
A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington confirmed that at least two patients from the shooting had been received, but their conditions were not disclosed. Lexington is approximately 90 miles north of London.
The sheriff’s office has identified a person of interest in the shooting as 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch, described as a White male, approximately 5-foot-10 and weighing 154 pounds. A photo of Couch was also released to aid in his identification.
Kentucky State Police spokesperson Trooper Scottie Pennington urged residents in the area to remain indoors as a precaution. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are assisting state and local police in responding to the “critical incident” near I-75.
Further details about the incident and the exact number of victims have not yet been disclosed.