Schools in a Kentucky country reopened Tuesday under heavy police guard for the first time since a massive search was launched for a suspect in an interstate shooting that injured five people 11 days ago.
As the suspect, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, remained on the loose Tuesday, the Laurel County Public Schools reopened campuses to its nearly 9,000 students.
“We will not live our lives in fear,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday.
The school district said in a statement that the reopening plan “prioritizes the safety of our students and staff.”
In this photo released by the London Police Department, Joseph Couch is shown.
London Police Department, KY
“The reopening plan provides enhanced security measures for bus transportation services, school campuses and extra-curricular activities,” the school district said.
Tuesday’s search for Couch continued to focus in the thick woods of the Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the Kentucky State Police.
Both state and federal teams have combed through at least 28,000 acres of the more than 700,000-acre national forest, but have yet to find any sign of Couch, officials said.
As the search continues in the national forest, officials said they are expanding the hunt for Couch to the communities surrounding the forest.
Trees stand in wooded areas alongside Interstate 75 near Livingston, Ky., on Sept. 8, 2024, as police search for a suspect in a shooting Saturday along the Interstate.
Timothy D. Easley/AP
Beshear said additional state resources are being made available to help with the ongoing search efforts.
The FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are assisting in the search.
The search for the gunman began on Sept. 7, after police responded to reports that a dozen vehicles traveling on Interstate 75 near London, Kentucky, had been struck by gunfire, officials said.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said 20 to 30 shots were fired from a hillside near I-75’s exit 49.
Couch was initially named as a person of interest after deputies found his SUV abandoned on a forest road near exit 49, officials said. An AR-15 rifle Couch purchased in the hours before the shooting and investigators believe was used in the incident was also found in the woods near Couch’s vehicle along with a bag with Couch’s name written on it, officials said.
A day after the shooting, Couch was upgraded to the primary suspect. Investigators warned that Couch should be considered armed and dangerous.
In addition to searching the national forest, a tip prompted investigators this week to search a home in Laurel County, but found no evidence of Couch having been there, officials said.
Before the interstate shooting, according to the arrest warrant, a Laurel County 911 dispatcher received a call from a woman who alleged Couch texted her before the interstate shooting and “advised he was going to kill a lot of people. Well, try at least.” The text message was sent to the woman at 5:03 p.m. on Sept. 7, about a half-hour before the interstate shooting started, according to the arrest warrant.
“Couch sent another message to [the woman] that read, in part, ‘I’ll kill myself afterwards,'” according to the arrest warrant.
As schools in Kentucky reopened for the new academic year, authorities continued their search for the suspect involved in a shooting on the interstate that left one person injured. The incident, which occurred on the 11th day of the search, has left residents and officials on edge as they work to ensure the safety of the community.
The shooting took place on a busy interstate in Kentucky, causing chaos and panic among drivers and passengers. The victim, who was driving on the highway at the time of the incident, was struck by a bullet and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, who fled the scene after the shooting, has evaded capture for over a week, prompting a massive manhunt by law enforcement agencies.
As schools reopened in the area, parents and students expressed concerns about the safety of their children while traveling to and from school. Many schools have implemented additional security measures, such as increased police presence and stricter entry protocols, to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. They have also advised drivers to avoid traveling alone on the interstate and to be aware of their surroundings at all times.
The search for the suspect has been challenging for authorities, as he has managed to evade capture despite extensive efforts to track him down. Police have been conducting door-to-door searches, utilizing K-9 units, and monitoring surveillance footage in an attempt to locate the suspect.
The community has come together in support of law enforcement efforts, with many residents offering tips and assistance in the search for the suspect. Local businesses have also shown their support by providing resources and assistance to authorities as they work to apprehend the individual responsible for the shooting.
As the search for the suspect enters its 11th day, residents remain hopeful that he will be apprehended soon. In the meantime, authorities are urging caution and vigilance among residents as they work to ensure the safety of the community.
