Kentucky highway shooter still loose as cops find SUV, ‘AR rifle’; 7 people injured

 A  whoman shot motorists on a rural Kentucky highway was on the loose Sunday as cops said they recovered an SUV and an “AR rifle” — one day after he blasted five people and caused a crash that injured two others, cops said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were searching for the shooter after he fired at a stretch of Interstate 75 in the small city of London, Kentucky on Saturday.

All of the victims were in stable condition early Sunday, though some had “very serious” injuries, including one person who was shot in the face, deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, said.

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Joseph A. Couch has been named as a person of interest in the shooting.Laurel County Sheriff's Office/Facebook

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Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, Public information Officer with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, gives details on the progress of the investigation of the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024.AP

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Cops identified Joseph A. Couch, 32, as a person of interest, warning locals that he should be considered “armed and dangerous.” Couch is described as a white male approximately 5’10 and weighing 154 pounds.

A silver SUV registered to Couch was found off a US Forest Service Road Saturday night with a rifle case inside, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. Authorities also found “an AR rifle” near I-75 near to the car, the post added.

Police had arrived at a chaotic scene and saw several cars pulled off at the exit as well as nine vehicles with bullet holes.

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Authorities continued their search for the gunman responsible for the shooting on Sunday.via REUTERS

“When our first two units got to the scene there, they said it was a madhouse: people on the sides of the road, emergency flashers going, bullet holes, windows shot out, nine vehicles shot. Can you imagine that? Just chaotic,” Acciardo said during a Sunday news conference.

Officers searched the remote, wooded area but the search was temporarily suspended due to darkness. The search started up again early Sunday morning as authorities also worked to determine where the gunman fired from.

Acciardo said authorities did not believe the shooting was a result of road rage.

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People in the area were urged to remain home as the manhunt for the gunman continues.Rich Brimer via REUTERS

Local lawmakers are urging residents in the area to stay home as police continue to search for the gunman.

The Interstate was closed 9 miles north of London but reopened three hours later, officials said.

The FBI, the US Marshal’s Service and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting local authorities in the investigation, officials said.

https://nypost.com/2024/09/08/us-news/sicko-who-shot-at-drivers-on-highway-still-on-the-loose-after-7-people-injured-it-was-a-madhouse/