{"id":28285,"date":"2024-09-08T05:59:11","date_gmt":"2024-09-08T09:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=28285"},"modified":"2024-09-08T05:59:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T09:59:11","slug":"manhunt-after-gunman-takes-aim-at-cars-on-us-highway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2024\/09\/08\/manhunt-after-gunman-takes-aim-at-cars-on-us-highway\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhunt after gunman takes aim at cars on US highway"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">A manhunt is under way in Kentucky after a number of people were shot on a highway near the city of London on Saturday.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The incident began at about 17:30 local time (21:30 GMT). Police arrived and found nine vehicles had been shot into near Interstate 75.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Seven people have been injured, five of those seriously, according to the Laurel County Sheriff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mayor Randall Weddle of London said not all of these injuries were by gunshot, and that no-one had been killed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Police have named Joseph A Couch, 32, as a person of interest and say he is considered armed and dangerous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1b5y2ub-ComponentWrapper-FullWidthWrapper ey0461q0\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-1vfya96-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-sft8a2-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/960\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/6c14\/live\/b814e2c0-6d81-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png 976w\" alt=\"A black and white picture of Joseph A Couch. He has a slight smile. Only his head is visible in the image.\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-1kk6ucf-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y7krbn-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Thirty-two-year-old Joseph A Couch has been named by police as a person of interest (Image: <span class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" role=\"text\">Laurel County Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Couch, from Woodbine in Kentucky is described as 5&#8217;10&#8221; (178cm) and weighs approximately 154 pounds (70kg).<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Officers say shots were fired into vehicles travelling in both directions along the highway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">I\u201375 was closed for several hours because of the danger to passing cars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">According to local media, shots may have been fired from a wooded area near to the highway, or from an overpass.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The suspect or suspects have not been apprehended at this time, but they are searching for them,&#8221; said Mayor Randall in a video posted to Facebook at about 21:30 local time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Where they are currently, that is some rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Speaking to CNN, Christina DiNoto, who was driving on I-75 with a friend at the time of the shooting said &#8220;it was like a rock went through my back window&#8221;, hurting her ear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cWe looked at each other and we were like, \u2018Was that a gunshot?\u2019 And then we\u2019re like, \u2018No, that wasn\u2019t a gunshot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She said it was only an hour and a half later they learnt that it had been a shooting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Later on Friday, Mount Vernon Fire Department said a section of the highway close to where the shooting happened had reopened, after being closed for about three hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington told the BBC&#8217;s US partner, CBS News that it had received at least two patients from the incident so far, but there was no word on their conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Trooper Scottie Pennington, a Kentucky State Police spokesperson, urged residents in the area to stay inside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Members of the public have been warned not to approach the person of interest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also confirmed it was involved in the search.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Earlier, Kentucky&#8217;s Governor Andy Beshear wrote on social media that law enforcement had &#8220;shut the interstate down in both directions&#8221; near to where the shooting happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He said the area should be avoided, and urged the public to &#8220;pray for everyone involved&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">London is a small city of about 8,000 residents near the Daniel Boone National Forest.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cr40vp6rgldo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">A manhunt is under way in Kentucky after a number of people were shot on a highway near the city of London on Saturday. The incident began at about 17:30 local time (21:30 GMT). Police <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2024\/09\/08\/manhunt-after-gunman-takes-aim-at-cars-on-us-highway\/\" title=\"Manhunt after gunman takes aim at cars on US highway\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[109,2,3],"tags":[1650,10640,10641,302,3815,10639],"class_list":{"0":"post-28285","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headline","8":"category-news","9":"category-usa","10":"tag-kentucky","11":"tag-kentucky-state-police","12":"tag-laurel-county","13":"tag-london","14":"tag-shootings","15":"tag-woodbine","16":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28285"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28287,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28285\/revisions\/28287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}