in the wake of a deadly shooting on Interstate 75 Laurel County Kentucky is experiencing increased dread and tension as a result of a widespread Manhunt for an armed and dangerous suspect Joseph a couch 32 has been named by the authorities as a person of interest in the September 7th 2024 shooting nine automobiles were shot at in the north and southbound Lanes of the highway resulting in five individuals being injured despite their severe injuries the victims are said to be in stable condition around 5:30 p.m. in the late afternoon there was a shooting spree that caused Havoc as bullets were fired at vehicles on I75 some drivers described their terrifying encounters with gunshots striking their cars loud booms and broken glass driving through the region with a companion Christina denoto told how she heard something that at first she thought was a rock hitting her car she didn't realize it was a gunshot until much later couch a white man who weighed around 1054 lb and stood 5 f 10 in tall is thought to have run away into the neighboring wooded areas this difficult terrain has been the focus of law enforcement search operations which has complicated the process of finding and apprehending the suspect although London Kentucky mayor Randall wed stressed that investigators have a rough estimate of Couch's whereabouts he cautioned that the terrain may make the search take longer than expected the ongoing operation has involved the deployment of helicopters drones and a multi- agency task force that includes the FBI US Marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco firearms and explosives ATF though detectives are actively pursuing information the shooting's motivation is yet unknown the community is deeply concerned about the sudden outbreak of violence and people are being asked to be on the lookout the necessity of staying inside and avoiding needless travel in the area of the Manhunt has been emphasized by law authorities additionally police have advised locals not to handle problems on their own and to report any suspicious activities or noises instead of trying to speak with the culprit directly this startling incident has added to the already high level of uneasiness as it follows a number of other wellp publicized shootings in the United States it is reminiscent of the recent shooting spree in Seattle where multiple drivers were shot and injured while driving on an expressway public fear was further heightened by the mass shooting at a Georgia high school a few days prior which claimed four lives and injured numerous others in a public statement Kentucky Governor Andy Basher asked people to remember the victims and First Responders in their prayers he gave the people comfort in knowing that the state's Homeland Security office and the Kentucky State Police are keeping a close eye on the issue and assisting local authorities in order to avoid making the continuing search operations more difficult the governor further asked people to avoid the impacted region right now things are still a moving Target in an effort to find couch and in The Manhunt law enforcement organizations are putting in great effort although the immediate threat may be centered in the rural areas near the highway authorities have continued to notify the public through frequent updates and have recommended the entire Community to remain Vigilant as the investigation progresses catching couch and guaranteeing Community safety continue to be the top priorities