A body is found near the site of the deadly interstate shooting in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Kentucky — A body was found near the rural location in southeastern Kentucky where a shooter opened fire on a highway, hitting a dozen vehicles and injuring five people, police said Wednesday.
Investigators were working to identify the body, state police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington said in a social media post. The body was located near the Interstate 75 exit where the Sept. 7 shooting occurred near London, a town of about 8,000 people about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.
Police have not released any further details about the discovery at this time.
The shooting caused great tension among residents and many took extra precautions because the suspect, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, remains at large.
Hundreds of police officers took part in the large-scale search, which focused on a rugged, wooded area near where the attacker had peppered the highway with bullets.
On Tuesday, authorities said they get seekers out of the woods to increase patrols in nearby communities.
Schools in the region reopened on Tuesday, with extra police surveillance.
The day after the shooting, authorities searched an area near where Couch’s vehicle was found, overlooking I-75. According to an arrest warrant, they found an army-style duffel bag, ammunition and spent shell casings.
A short distance away, they found an AR-15 rifle with a mounted scope and several magazines. The duffel bag had “Couch” handwritten in black marker on it. The shooter fired 20 to 30 rounds, investigators said.
According to the affidavit, the shooting Couch briefly said in a text message, “I’m going to kill a lot of people. At least try.” In a separate message, he said, “I’m going to kill myself after that.”
The affidavit did not describe the relationship between Couch and the woman who received the text messages. Couch and the woman have a child together but never married, according to an attorney who handled custody arrangements for the couple and their son, born in 2016.