Authorities: Shooting Suspect Is Hiding in 'Very Rough' Area

Joseph Couch is accused of injuring 5 people during Kentucky highway shooting last weekend
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 12, 2024 10:25 AM CDT
Caves Searched in Hunt for Highway Shooting Suspect
Joseph Couch.   (London Police Department via AP)

Authorities believe Joseph Couch, the suspect in the Kentucky highway shooting that left five people injured on Saturday, remains concealed in dense forest near the crime scene, though there's been no sign of him for five days. Helicopters, drones equipped with infrared technology, special response teams, and dogs continue to search for the 32-year-old former Army reservist in Daniel Boone National Forest, "scouring the sandstone cliffsides and caves," NBC News reports. Authorities, who are asking the public to report any possible sightings, say Couch is likely to be desperate and dehydrated if he's so far survived in the woods.

Couch texted the mother of his child on Saturday, vowing to "kill a lot of people" and "kill myself afterwards," according to an arrest affidavit. Authorities discovered his SUV on a service road near Interstate 75 later Saturday after 12 vehicles were struck by gunfire near the city of London. A rifle was also recovered. Authorities say there's no sign Couch has left the area. "It's very remote" and "very rough," with "a lot of hidden holes that would be very difficult to find an individual," local resident Chris Grigsby tells LEX 18. Laurel County schools remain closed as a precaution, while some area businesses are offering drive-thru service only, per NBC.

Couch, to be charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. His criminal record shows a misdemeanor charge of making a terroristic threat against a man with a dog, though the charge was dropped in March. "Should new information become available, [Kentucky State Police] will schedule a briefing to notify the public and media," Master State Trooper Scottie Pennington said Wednesday, as Laurel County Judge Executive David Westerfield predicted the National Guard would soon get involved, per WHAS. (More Kentucky stories.)

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