Suspected Kentucky highway shooter found dead

Kentucky police have found the body of Joseph Couch, a 32-year-old man suspected of injuring five people in a highway shooting spree, concluding a 10-day manhunt.

Couch, a former US Army reservist, was accused of firing on vehicles along Interstate 75 near London, Kentucky, on September 7.

Authorities launched a massive search using helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs after Couch wounded five people and shot at 12 vehicles on the highway.

According to police, Couch legally purchased an AR-15 rifle and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition in London earlier that day. He later sent text messages to an unidentified woman, stating his intentions to "kill a lot of people" and to take his own life after the shooting.

Couch shared custody of a child with the woman, though they were never married.

After the shooting, Couch fled into the dense woods of southeastern Kentucky, leading authorities on an extensive search.

The rural, wooded area near the I-75 exit made the search challenging, with search teams navigating cliffs, caves, and thick brush.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear condemned the incident as an "act of violence and evil," and local schools shifted to virtual learning for several days due to safety concerns.

The manhunt ended when police found an unidentified body in a wooded area near the highway, about eight miles north of London.

They were led to the site by the presence of vultures in the air, and personal items found near the body led police to believe it was Couch. Though an official identification is still pending, police said they are confident that the search is over.

Couch’s background in the US Army Reserve revealed that he served as a combat engineer from 2013 to 2019, leaving the service as a private with no deployments.

During the search, investigators found Couch’s abandoned vehicle, a semi-automatic weapon believed to have been used in the attack, and an Army-style duffel bag with his name on it.

The shootings caused significant fear in the local community, prompting a $5,000 reward for information on Couch’s whereabouts and hundreds of tips from the public.

Searchers had to suspend operations at night, but officers remained strategically positioned to prevent Couch from escaping the area.

The intense search, involving more than 400 tips, focused on the rugged terrain before police shifted their focus to road patrols in nearby communities.

As of now, authorities continue their investigation, but the discovery of the body brings relief to the area, which had been on edge since the shooting spree.

All five victims of the highway shootings survived, though some suffered serious injuries.