Authorities have discovered a body near the rural southeastern Kentucky location where a gunman unleashed a barrage of gunfire on Interstate 75, striking multiple vehicles and injuring five individuals. The body was found in the vicinity of the Interstate 75 exit where the shooting took place on September 7 near London, a city approximately 75 miles south of Lexington.
Law enforcement officials are currently working to identify the body, as stated by state police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington in a social media update. Further details regarding the discovery have not been immediately provided by the police.
The shooting incident has left residents in the area on edge, particularly with the suspected gunman, a 32-year-old individual named Joseph Couch, still evading capture. A significant number of law enforcement personnel have been involved in an extensive search effort, primarily focusing on a rugged, wooded area close to where the assailant carried out the attack.
Following the shooting, county schools have reopened with heightened police presence to ensure the safety of students and staff. Authorities have been concentrating their search efforts in nearby communities after withdrawing search teams from the wooded area.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers discovered an Army-style duffel bag, ammunition, spent shell casings, an AR-15 rifle with a mounted sight, and several magazines near where Couch's vehicle was located. The duffel bag had the name 'Couch' handwritten on it. Investigators estimated that the gunman fired between 20 to 30 rounds during the incident.
An arrest warrant affidavit revealed that shortly after the shooting, Couch sent text messages indicating his intentions to harm others, stating, 'I'm going to kill a lot of people. Well try at least,' and 'I'll kill myself afterwards.' The nature of the relationship between Couch and the recipient of the texts was not detailed in the affidavit, although it was mentioned that they share a child together but were never married.
