Manhunt underway for suspect in Kentucky mass shooting near highway

A manhunt is underway for an "armed and dangerous" suspect in connection with Saturday night's mass shooting near a highway in Kentucky that left five people seriously injured.

Deputies are searching for Joseph A. Couch, 32, in a remote wooded area near the scene of the shooting on Interstate 75.

Couch was initially referred to as a person of interest but was upgraded to suspect Sunday afternoon following the discovery of his vehicle near the scene. He's believed to have acted alone, according to Laurel County Deputy Gilbert Acciardo.

Deputies who responded to the scene found that nine vehicles had been shot into in both the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 75, according to the sheriff’s office. All five victims injured in the incident were shot. Acciardo did not identify the victims but stated on Sunday that the most serious injuries include one person shot in the face, another shot in the arm, and a third shot across the chest.

All are in stable condition and expected to survive, he added.

A stretch of the interstate eight miles north of the small city of London was shut down amid the law enforcement response and later reopened.

Acciardo said the shooter's actions were "sniper-like," and warned residents to "stay vigilant." It's not clear what the shooter's motivation was at this time, but Acciardo called it "a random act."

"This is not a road rage incident," Acciardo said. "I mean, you got five different victims that have been shot, one’s from Kentucky, the rest from out of state. No, it’s a random act."

The shooter was not in a vehicle at the time of the shooting, Acciardo added.

Couch was identified as a suspect after his silver vehicle was found near the scene, according to Acciardo. An AR-15 believed to be the weapon used in the shooting was found "some distance" from the vehicle in a wooded area, he said.

"A location that you could have shot down upon the interstate from that wooded location," Acciardo said about the area the weapon was found in a Sunday afternoon update. The weapon is being processed.

A gun case and several charged magazines were also found in the vehicle, Acciardo said.

Around 50 to 60 members of law enforcement searched for Couch until 3 a.m. on Sunday, and a smaller, more specialized group resumed the search at around 9 a.m., Acciardo said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.