FRANKFORT, Ky. — A man, identified as Joseph Couch, is currently under investigation for allegedly shooting five individuals on a Kentucky interstate. Prior to the incident, he reportedly sent a text message to a woman, alerting her of his intention to ”cause significant harm to many people,” as stated in the arrest warrant issued against him.
In the text message, Couch ominously wrote, “I’m planning to cause harm to many people. At least, that’s my intention,” according to the arrest warrant. He also allegedly sent another message less than 30 minutes before the incident, stating, “I’ll end my life afterwards…”
The woman, upon receiving these disturbing messages, immediately contacted 911, the warrant reveals. She later provided the police with screenshots of the text messages during an interview conducted early Sunday.
Authorities are relentlessly pursuing Couch, 32, who has managed to avoid capture since the incident on Saturday afternoon. It is believed that he fired an AR-15 from a cliff ledge on the side of the interstate, approximately 9 miles north of London, Kentucky. The shooting resulted in 12 cars being hit and five people sustaining injuries.
On the day of the shooting, Couch reportedly purchased an AR-15, a sight, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, spending nearly $3,000 in total, as per the arrest warrant. The sheriff’s office has confirmed that these purchases were made legally.
Couch is now facing charges of five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, as announced by Jackie Steele, the commonwealth attorney for Laurel and Knox counties, in a conversation with CNN.
Law enforcement agencies are hopeful that their relentless pursuit and intensive search efforts, involving drones, helicopters, dogs, and numerous officers, will eventually lead to Couch’s capture. Teams from federal, state, and local agencies are meticulously searching the vast, densely forested area where Couch’s AR-15, ammunition, car, and a phone believed to be his were found.
“Our objective is to maintain constant pressure and exhaust Mr. Couch the longer he remains in the woods,” said Kentucky State Police spokesperson Scottie Pennington during a news conference on Monday afternoon. “We hope he has no access to water and food.”
The remote area of the Daniel Boone National Forest, where the search is concentrated, spans thousands of acres and includes sinkholes, caves, culverts, creeks, and rivers. In some parts, officers are using machetes to cut through the dense vegetation, Pennington mentioned earlier.
While the motive behind the attack remains unclear, it seems to be a “random act” of violence, according to Gilbert Acciardo, a deputy sheriff in Laurel County, as reported by The Associated Press.
A reward of $15,000 is being offered for any information that leads to Couch’s arrest, as announced by the Kentucky State Police.
“This message is for him: You can run, but you cannot hide,” stated Randall Weddle, the mayor of London, Kentucky, during a CNN interview on Monday afternoon.
‘We urge citizens to report anything suspicious’
As long as Couch remains at large, law enforcement has a clear message for the local community: If you notice anything unusual, report it.
“We urge citizens to report anything out of the ordinary,” Pennington stated on Monday afternoon. ”If you return home and something seems off, retreat and call for help.”
“If your dogs are barking unusually late at night, make a call,” he added.
He advised residents to keep their cellphones charged and within reach, and to monitor any technology, such as Ring cameras or deer cameras, that might capture any unusual activity. He also encouraged them to check on their neighbors, especially those living in remote shacks or homemade dwellings.
Pennington cautioned that if anyone spots Couch, who may still be armed, they should maintain a safe distance.
The shooting incident and the ongoing manhunt have left the central Kentucky community in a state of high alert. Numerous school districts and several private schools in the area, including those in Laurel, Jackson, and Clay counties, canceled classes on Monday. Laurel County has also announced that classes will be canceled on Tuesday.
“Everyone is terrified,” Weddle admitted. “This is an extremely dangerous situation.”
Although none of the victims of Saturday’s shooting lost their lives, some sustained “very severe” injuries, including one individual who was shot in the face and another who was shot “across the chest,” according to Acciardo. Some victims were “critically injured” but were in stable condition by Sunday, he added.
The victims have been identified as Rebecca Puryear, Norma Liberia, Renee Walker, Janet Booth, and Erick Gavin, as per the arrest warrant. All five were traveling south on I-75.
Puryear, 28, referred to herself as “a walking miracle” in a conversation with CNN after surviving the shooting. She was driving home with her husband and their 4-year-old son when they heard gunshots on I-75.
When she pulled over, she noticed that she was “bleeding profusely,” Puryear recounted.
Puryear explained that a bullet entered the passenger-side window and hit her right arm, penetrated her chest, and then exited through her left arm. She was discharged from the hospital later that Saturday night but will require surgery.
Couch served in the Army Reserve for approximately six years between 2013 and 2019 as a combat engineer. He had no deployments and was a private – the Army’s lowest enlisted rank – at the end of his service, Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ruth Castro informed CNN in a statement.
According to Steele, Couch has a “very minimal” criminal record in the state. He was charged with terroristic threatening, but the charge was dismissed earlier this year, Steele revealed. No further details on the charge were provided.
Weddle told CNN that Couch had no “red flags” and all his purchases were legal.
It is believed that the gunman walked to a cliff along the side of the interstate and fired from a ledge about 30 feet down the cliff, according to Dalrymple. Authorities later discovered a ”green army-style duffle bag,” several magazines of ammunition, and “numerous spent shell casings” near the vehicle’s location, as stated in the arrest warrant. They also found an AR-15 and sight nearby, and a phone with the battery removed.
Agree
Agree with stricter gun control laws.
Agree with stricter gun control laws to prevent tragedies like this.
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