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On September 7, 2024, several people were injured during a mass shooting in Kentucky's Interstate 75 according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s office. The interstate was closed at mile marker/Exit 49, along with the parallel U.S. Route 25 due to an active shooter situation nine miles north of London, Kentucky.

Shooting

At around 5:30 p.m. a lone gunman shot 20–30 rounds at civilians in passing by cars from a wooded area or an overpass for Kentucky Route 909, hitting twelve cars and injuring five people. Victims were transported to Saint Joseph London Hospital and the UK HealthCare by ambulances and other law enforcement vehicles due to the severity of their injuries. All victims are expected to survive.

Victims

Eight people were injured, five by gunshot and three by vehicle accidents caused by the crash. All were severe injuries.

The gunshot victims are:

• Janet Booth
• Norma Liberia
• Rebecca Puryear
• Erick Tavin
• Renee Walker

One victim has been discharged, while two others are in "good condition"

Suspect

The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch, a resident of Woodbine, Kentucky who was in the Army Reserve from March 2013 to January 2019 as a B-12 private combat engineer. Before the shooting, the suspect legally purchased a firearm along with 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the gun store Center Target Firearms and then texted his ex-wife, Sara Mills, that he was going to "kill a lot of people" and then "kill himself".

Aftermath

Eight people were injured, including three people due to vehicle crashes caused by the shooting, twelve cars were shot and damaged, the highway was closed for three hours until around 9:30 p.m., an SOS alert was sent out and a manhunt is ongoing in search of the gunman, which resumed on September 8 at around 9 a.m.

Manhunt

The manhunt for the suspect resumed on September 8, 2024, and is ongoing with drones, police dogs, helicopters and dozens of police officers. The police stated the shooting was a random attack, and was not road rage-related. Laurel County Sheriff's Office said they located the suspect's car, a Colt AR-15 mounted on a place, a phone, spent shell casings and a green Army-style duffel bag with "Couch" written on it in black marker, which they believe were used in the shooting, in a wooded area next to the interstate. Schools in the area were closed on September 9, as the manhunt continues. There is a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

See also

• 1965 Highway 101 sniper attack
• Midland–Odessa shootings
• D.C. sniper attacks

References

1. "Multiple people shot along I-75 in southeastern Kentucky, authorities say". Fox16. September 7, 2024. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
2. "Manhunt underway after 5 people injured in Kentucky shooting near Interstate 75, officials say". CTV News. September 7, 2024. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
3. "Active shooter: At least 4 people shot on I-75 in Laurel County, Kentucky". BNO News. September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
4. Tucker, Raja Razek, Emma (2024-09-07). "Numerous people shot in Kentucky near Interstate 75, officials say". CNN. Archived from the original on 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. "Police resume manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect". RTÉ News. 2024-09-08. Archived from the original on 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
6. ^ Sizemore, Anthony (2024-09-09). "Suspect sent texts before interstate mass shooting, affidavit says". WYMT-TV. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
7. "Kentucky shooting Sunday updates: Search for the suspect resumes". Courier Journal. September 8, 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
8. "Kentucky I-75 shooting suspect vowed over text to 'kill a lot of people,' arrest warrant says". CNN. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
9. "'I'm going to kill a lot of people.' I-75 shooting suspect sent texts before attack". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
10. "Kentucky I-75 shooting: Suspect charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault". Courier Journal. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
11. "5 people shot during Laurel County shooting; Deputies search for person of interest". WLKY and Associated Press. September 7, 2024. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
12. "Five People Shot on I-75 in Kentucky Highway Shooting, Officials Say". The New York Times. September 8, 2024. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
13. "Kentucky residents urged to stay 'vigilant' as highway shooter sought: Live updates". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
14. "AR-15 recovered near I-75 shooting scene in Kentucky as man hunt continues". MSNBC. September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
15. "Kentucky police recover AR-15, vehicle believed to belong to person of interest in I-75 shooting". WLWT. September 8, 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
16. "Man accused of shooting 5 on Kentucky interstate vowed to 'kill a lot of people,' warrant says". Associated Press. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
17. "Kentucky I-75 shootings: Schools closed amid hunt for gunman". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
18. "I-75 shooter search Day 3: Manhunt for suspect continues, some area schools closed". WLKY. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.

• 2024 in Kentucky
• 2024 mass shootings in the United States
• September 2024 crimes in the United States
• Mass shootings in Kentucky
• Laurel County, Kentucky
• Interstate 75