Schools closed amid search for gunman

Schools in several Kentucky counties were closed Monday as the search continued for a man suspected of opening fire on vehicles along a major highway, injuring five people, for a third day.

Joseph A Couch, 32, the suspect in the shooting was charged on Monday with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault.

After the incident on Saturday night, police believe the attacker fled to a remote, rugged area about 9 miles (14km) from London in southeastern Kentucky.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said they recovered a silver Honda SUV and an AR rifle they believe were used in the attack, although the suspect may have possessed other guns.

Police also found a phone they believe belonged to Couch, but the battery had been removed.

An arrest warrant for Mr. Couch has been filed, charging him with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.

Police said Couch legally purchased the rifle and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition hours before the shooting.

The shooting began at around 5:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. GMT) on Saturday. Police initially said nine vehicles were hit by gunfire along Interstate 75, a busy north-south route. They later increased that number to 12 vehicles.

The shots were fired from a ledge overlooking the highway.

Officials said five people were injured and some were “very seriously,” including one person who was shot in the face.

As of Sunday, all were stable and expected to survive.

Randall Weddle, mayor of London, Kentucky, said some local businesses and churches remained closed on Sunday while the manhunt continued.

Authorities warned local residents to be vigilant while the suspect remains at large.

“You need to lock your doors,” Kentucky State Police spokesman Scottie Pennington said Sunday. “If you have security cameras, make sure you’re constantly monitoring them, maybe keep your porch lights on.”

As a precaution, schools in Laurel County, where London is located, and several neighboring counties were closed on Monday.

Officials said the area was heavily wooded and the search was slow. The manhunt was suspended after dark Sunday night, but officers remained in the wooded area near Exit 49 on I-75 trying to apprehend the suspect.

“It’s probably one of the furthest exits on I-75,” Deputy Gilbert Acciardo of the Lauren County Sheriff’s Office told reporters at a news conference. “It was a big job.”

Mr Acciardo described the scene as resembling a “mental hospital” when the first rescuers arrived.

“People on both sides of the street, emergency lights flashing, bullet holes, windows blown out,” he said. “Can you imagine? It was chaos.”

Police said they have not yet determined a motive for the shooting, but they described it as a random attack rather than a targeted one. Couch previously served in the National Guard, police said.

The city of London has about 8,000 residents and is located near the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Speaking to CNN, Christina DiNoto, who was driving on I-75 with a friend at the time of the shooting, said “it felt like a rock went through my back window,” injuring her ear.

“We looked at each other and said, ‘Is that a gunshot?’ And then we said, ‘No, that’s not a gunshot.'”

It took them an hour and a half to learn there had been a shooting, she said.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear wrote on social media that the area should be avoided and urged residents to “pray for everyone involved.”