Interstate 75 Kentucky shooting

Interstate 75 Kentucky shooting
Location	Interstate 75, Laurel County, Kentucky, United States
Coordinates	37°13′35.3″N 84°12′55.0″W
Date	September 7, 2024; 3 months ago (2024-09-07) c. 5:30 p.m. (EDT)
Target	People in cars
Attack type	Mass shooting
Weapon	Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle
Deaths	1 (the perpetrator)
Injured	8 (5 by gunfire)[1][2]
Perpetrator	Joseph Allen Couch
Motive	Unknown

On September 7, 2024, five people were wounded during a mass shooting on Kentucky's Interstate 75. A gunman, subsequently identified as Joseph A. Couch, fired at least 20 rounds at passing cars from the overpass at exit 49. He escaped from the scene and was the subject of a manhunt. Couch's body was found 11 days later, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot.^[3][4][5]

Shooting

At around 5:30 p.m., a lone gunman fired 20–30 rounds at people in passing vehicles from a ledge on the side of a cliff overlooking Interstate 75, striking twelve vehicles and seriously injuring five people.^[6][7][8] 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.^[9]

Victims

Eight people were injured, five by gunshot and three by vehicle collisions caused by the gunfire. All of the victims were in stable condition.^[10]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified as Joseph Allen Couch (August 6, 1992^[11] – September 7, 2024), a 32-year-old male resident of Woodbine, Kentucky. He previously served in the Army Reserve from March 2013 to January 2019 as a combat engineer (MOS 12B) with the rank of private.^[12] Before the shooting, Couch had legally purchased a firearm along with 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the gun store Center Target Firearms and then texted his ex-wife that he was going to "kill a lot of people" and then kill himself.^{[7][13][14][15]} Couch had previously been arrested and charged on February 5, 2024, for making third-degree terroristic threats after threatening to kill his neighbor and his neighbor's dog with an AR-15.^[16] Couch's body was found on September 18, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot.^[17]

Aftermath

Eight people were injured, including three people due to vehicle crashes caused by the shooting, seventeen cars were shot and damaged.^[8] The highway was closed for three hours until around 9:30 p.m., an SOS alert was sent out, a state of emergency was declared and a manhunt ensued in search of the gunman, which resumed on September 8 at around 9 a.m.^[18][19][20] A suspected shooting on September 11 near Hal Rogers Parkway in Hazard prompted the Perry County school district to put schools on lockdown and cancel classes the next day. The preliminary investigation by the Hazard Police Department indicated that there was no shooting and there was no danger to the public.^[21]

On September 12, Governor Andy Beshear expressed his appreciation for the recovery of four of the five victims and acknowledged the efforts of first responders.^[22]

On September 13, Exit 49 was reopened after having been blocked off since the attack.^[23]

Manhunt

The manhunt for the suspect resumed on September 8, 2024, involving drones, police dogs, helicopters and dozens of police officers in the Daniel Boone National Forest.^[24][9] The police stated the shooting was a random attack, and was not road rage-related.^[25] The Laurel County Sheriff's Office said they located the suspect's car, a semi-automatic Colt AR-15 mounted with a sight, a gun case, several additional magazines, a phone, spent shell casings and a green Army-style duffel bag with "Couch" written on it in black marker, in a wooded area next to the interstate.^[26][27] Schools in the area were closed on September 9 through September 11 as the manhunt continued.^[3][28] A $35,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator.^[29]

On September 18, two people found a decomposed body in a forested area near the Interstate exit. The body, believed to be Couch, was found after the couple noticed vultures circling the area.^[30] An initial DNA test was inconclusive, but an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.^[31] Couch's body was identified on September 20.^[17]

See also

• 1965 Highway 101 sniper attack
• Midland–Odessa shootings
• D.C. sniper attacks
• Ohio highway sniper attacks
• Phoenix freeway shootings
• 1969 Pennsylvania Turnpike shootings

References

1. "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.
2. "Active shooter: At least 4 people shot on I-75 in Laurel County, Kentucky". BNO News. September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
3. Wendling, Mike; Hayes, Christal; Drenon, Brandon (September 11, 2024). "Kentucky I-75 shootings: Schools closed amid hunt for gunman". BBC. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
4. Razek, Raja; Tucker, Emma (September 7, 2024). "Numerous people shot in Kentucky near Interstate 75, officials say". CNN. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
5. "Police resume manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect". RTÉ News. September 8, 2024. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
6. Leach, Christopher; Estep, Bill (September 9, 2024). "Suspected KY I-75 shooter may still be hiding in national forest. Police believe he acted alone". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
7. Sizemore, Anthony (September 9, 2024). "Suspect sent texts before interstate mass shooting, affidavit says". WYMT-TV. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
8. Hamrick, Brian (September 17, 2024). "KSP moves command post in search for I-75 shooter based on trail dogs are following". WLWT. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
9. Baarlaer, Killian; McCrary, Eleanor; Smith, Rachel; Bertucci, Leo (September 8, 2024). "Kentucky shooting: Suspect was in Army Reserve, purchased weapon, ammo Saturday". Louisville Courier Journal. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
10. Goodman, Danielle (September 8, 2024). "5 people shot during Laurel County shooting; Deputies search for person of interest". WLKY. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
11. "24-M-75 - Joseph Couch February 2024 warrant" (PDF). Spectrum News (Kentucky/Southern Indiana). February 7, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
12. "Manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect cancels classes as authorities urge people to be on high alert". CBS News. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
13. Wolfe, Elizabeth; Sottile, Zoe; Pazmino, Gloria (September 9, 2024). "Kentucky I-75 shooting suspect vowed over text to 'kill a lot of people,' arrest warrant says". CNN. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
14. Leach, Christopher (September 9, 2024). "'I'm going to kill a lot of people.' I-75 shooting suspect sent texts before attack". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
15. Johnson, Marina; Smith, Rachel; Baarlaer, Killian; McCrary, Eleanor; Bertucci, Leo (September 9, 2024). "Kentucky I-75 shooting: Suspect charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
16. Powell, Curadhan (September 10, 2024). "I-75 shooting suspect was charged earlier in 2024 with threatening to kill man and his dog". WLKY. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
17. Slaven, Janie; Nantz, Madison (September 20, 2024). "Body confirmed to be Joseph Couch". The Times-Tribune.com. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
18. Keck, Matthew (September 13, 2024). "Manhunt for Kentucky highway shooting suspect enters day 7". WLKY. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
19. Goodman, Danielle (September 7, 2024). "5 people shot during Laurel County shooting; Deputies search for person of interest". WLKY. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
20. Holpuch, Amanda (September 8, 2024). "Five People Shot on I-75 in Kentucky Highway Shooting, Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
21. Foley, Drake (September 11, 2024). "Police: No shooting took place at Exit 59". WYMT-TV. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
22. Keck, Matthew (September 12, 2024). "Kentucky I-75 shooting: 4 victims released from hospital, football games canceled". WLKY. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
23. Patel, Ajay (September 13, 2024). "Exit 49 on I-75 reopens after shooting". WLEX-TV. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
24. Sottile, Zoe; Ebrahimji, Alisha (September 10, 2024). "Why the search for the Kentucky I-75 shooting suspect is so difficult". CNN. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
25. "AR-15 recovered near I-75 shooting scene in Kentucky as man hunt continues". MSNBC. September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
26. Sanderson, Emily; Hamrick, Brian (September 8, 2024). "Kentucky police recover AR-15, vehicle believed to belong to person of interest in I-75 shooting". WLWT. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
27. Schreiner, Bruce; Lovan, Dylan (September 9, 2024). "Man accused of shooting 5 on Kentucky interstate vowed to 'kill a lot of people,' warrant says". Associated Press. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
28. "Kentucky school districts cancel classes for third day amid manhunt". WKYT. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
29. Carmouche, Madison (September 10, 2024). "I-75 shooting manhunt: Reward increased again". WYMT-TV. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
30. Monica, Kast; Six, Taylor (September 18, 2024). "Couple behind Hatfield & McCoy museum finds body on livestream in area of I-75 shooting". Lexington Herald-Leader. The video showed a body lying in the back of a hollow, and the couple said the body appeared to have deteriorated.
31. Helsel, Phil (September 20, 2024). "Initial DNA test on remains believed to be of suspected Kentucky highway shooter is inconclusive". NBC News. Retrieved September 20, 2024.