Police found an AR-15 in a wooded area by the interstate Sunday afternoon that they believe was used in the shooting Saturday, Acciardo said.
“It is in a wooded area next to the interstate, in a location that he could have shot down upon the interstate from,” Acciardo said.
No, definitely not road rage,” Acciardo told reporters at an earlier news conference.
The shooter did not appear to have targeted specific people, but the attack seemed to be “a planned event,” Acciardo said Sunday evening.
The gunman shot into vehicles on the north and southbound lanes of I-75 and five people were struck by gunfire around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities suspect he walked closer to the interstate, which is where they recovered the weapon and believe he may still be in possession of other weapons.
“DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH,” the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office warned.
The search coordinated by the sheriff’s office resumed Sunday morning with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies and a drone with infrared heat-sensing technology, police said.
Authorities plan to shut down the search overnight, but will keep the area contained, Acciardo said Sunday evening.
The FBI, US Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are all assisting in the search, according to the sheriff’s office.
While they have not yet determined a motive for the attack, investigators have ruled out “road rage” as they comb through the dense woods of rural Laurel County, Kentucky, in search of a suspect in the shooting deaths of five people on Interstate 75. “.
The Joseph A. Laurel County Sheriff’s Office has received an upgrade. Deputy Gilbert Acciardo declared at a press conference on Sunday afternoon that Couch had changed from being a person of interest to a suspect.
According to Acciardo, authorities believe that an AR-15 they discovered in a forested area near the interstate on Sunday afternoon was used in the shooting on Saturday.
“It’s near the interstate in a wooded area; from there, he could have shot down upon the interstate,” Acciardo stated.
At the afternoon press conference, Acciardo stated that while authorities are operating under the assumption that Couch is still in the “very, very remote” area where his vehicle was found, he urged the public to exercise caution as the suspect “could be somewhere else – anywhere else.”. According to the authorities, he is a White man who stands about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 154 pounds.
Acciardo stated that law enforcement has not yet ascertained the reason behind the attack. He didn’t ride in a car. No, it’s not road rage at all, Acciardo assured reporters during a previous press conference.
Although the gunman did not seem to have a specific target in mind, Acciardo stated on Sunday night that the attack appeared to be “a planned event.”. Couch has not had many criminal convictions, but nothing particularly noteworthy, such as the shooting on Saturday.
Couch, according to authorities, fired shots at nine cars on the interstate south of Lexington on Saturday, injuring five people gravely, closing the road for several hours, and creating anxiety in the small rural community. Acciardo reported that although some of the victims were “critically hurt,” their conditions are stable.
At around 5:30 p.m., the gunman opened fire on cars in both the north and southbound lanes of I-75, injuring five people. m. The sheriff’s office said on Saturday.
Acciardo reported on Sunday afternoon that while there were no fatalities, there were some “very severe” injuries. Two victims had shots “across the chest” and in the face, respectively. “.
He remarked of the suspect, “We want to get this guy because he’s shot at cars, he’s shown that he’s capable, and that means he’s capable again.”.
Manhunt proceeds through thick forest.
Police are still searching the steep, heavily forested area. According to Acciardo, the suspect “couldn’t have picked an area that is any more remote and difficult for us to try to locate him.”. “.
On a forest service road off of Exit 49, law enforcement on Saturday found a car registered to the suspect that contained an empty gun case. The car was “very near the interstate, but not close enough that the person of interest could have fired from that location,” according to Acciardo.
Authorities believe he may still be in possession of other weapons because they believe he may have strolled closer to the interstate, where they found the weapon.
We do not currently think he is receiving outside help, Acciardo stated. It is still unknown to authorities to what extent the suspect has prepared himself, but he claimed it will determine how long he can stay alive in the isolated woods. Couch might not be alive anymore, he added.
Early on Sunday morning, London Mayor Randall Weddle posted on Facebook, urging people to “remain vigilant and call 911 if you see the individual in question.”.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning: “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH.”.
With the assistance of several law enforcement organizations and a drone equipped with infrared heat-sensing technology, the sheriff’s office-organized search got underway again on Sunday morning, according to the police.
The mayor stated on Sunday that authorities were searching in “rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines,” which may hinder their search. They also knew the general area where the suspect was.
With regard to the search, Acciardo said, “It’s very tedious and stressful.”. Because that’s what we do, we’re just going to keep plugging. “.
“What if he’s there? We need to check behind every tree,” he uttered. The deputy also mentioned the use of a drone to aid in the search.
Acciardo stated on Sunday night that while authorities intend to end the search overnight, they will still maintain containment over the area. “Due to the risk of our guys being in there and possibly approaching this person directly, we really have to suspend it after dark. “.
According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, the interstate was closed for several hours on Saturday “due to the danger to passing cars in the area of the shootings.”. The search is being assisted by the FBI, US Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, according to the sheriff’s office.
Weddle urged people not to go outside and shoot if they believed they heard something outside of their home. First responders or our officers might be there. Make a 911 call. “.
Less than a week after a spree shooter injured six people who were driving on an interstate in the Seattle area, and just days after a mass shooting at a high school in Winder, Georgia, that left four people dead and nine others hospitalized, the gun violence disrupted the Saturday commute.
The shooting victim declares, “I’m a walking miracle.”.
One of the victims of the shooting, 28-year-old Rebecca Puryear, had to visit the emergency room after what had begun as a family outing.
Puryear, her husband, and their 4-year-old son had spent the day in Lexington and were returning to their Harlan, Kentucky, home when they heard gunfire near I-75’s Exit 49.
Puryear told CNN on Sunday, “I asked my husband, and he said it was gunshots. It sounded like a tire had blown.”.
“My ears start to ring the next thing I know.”. I turn to see my passenger-side window shattered and a bullet hole in it. “.
Puryear drove for an additional quarter of a mile before stopping in a more secure spot. When she realized she had been shot, she checked to make sure her son and husband were okay.
Puryear said, “I just started pouring blood as I looked down.”. “I had to control myself because they would have freaked out if I had lost it. “.
Puryear stated that they dialed 911, and Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Bobby Roberts arrived on the scene while another ambulance was en route to help additional victims in her wake.
“He told me to get in his cruiser so he could take me to the hospital when I started fainting and passing out. “.
According to Puryear, a bullet went through the passenger-side window, struck her right arm, went through her chest, and then emerged through her left arm. She required surgery but was later Saturday night released from the hospital.
“My survival is a blessing for us. To CNN, Puryear said, “I’m a walking miracle.”. “Even though I sit here with gaping wounds, it still doesn’t feel real to me.”. “.
The driver describes a terrifying ordeal.
An account of the terrifying experience of witnessing the shooting by a woman traveling from Rochester, New York to Knoxville, Tennessee on Interstate 75 with a friend was given.
Christina DiNoto reported that they heard a “loud noise” upon arriving in London.
“Suddenly, it felt like a rock went through my back window and it hurt my ear,” DiNoto stated as they continued to drive.
“And then we turned to face one another and asked, ‘Was that a gunshot?’ and then we clarified that it wasn’t. “”.
DiNoto claimed that at first she believed they were experiencing a tire blowout when she saw the truck that was following her slow down and move to the interstate shoulder. There were “so many” tires on the side of the interstate, she said, and multiple police cars were passing by quickly.
DiNoto and her companion did not find out about the shooting until about an hour and a half later. They saw what appeared to be paint scrapes on the back of her car when they got to a friend’s house.
“I feel so fortunate,” DiNoto remarked, “but my hands are still shaking.”.
We will be updating this story as it develops.
