Monday, September 9, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
US authorities are still searching for the Kentucky sniper who was responsible for the shooting that sparked panic on Saturday, September 7, on an interstate highway, where he fired at a dozen cars, injuring five motorists. The events occurred in a particularly tragic and violent week, with several cases in which firearms also played a leading role. On Monday, four people died after a shooting in the Chicago subway. And on Wednesday, a 14-year-old teenager opened fire in a high school in Georgia, killing four people and injuring thirty others.
The investigation into the Kentucky shooting remains a mystery. At about 6:30 p.m., a man later identified as 32-year-old Joseph Couch opened fire from a cliff at vehicles traveling on nearby Interstate 75, about 14 kilometers north of the city of London. The suspect allegedly stood on a rocky outcrop overlooking a wide stretch of road and began pulling the trigger of his AR-15 rifle.
The attack may have been “random,” according to Laurel Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. Twelve cars were shot. Five people were injured, three by the impact of the bullets and two others as a result of collisions with other cars on a road that turned into hell in a matter of seconds. The two most seriously injured victims were shot in the face and chest. The alleged perpetrator then fled the scene, abandoning a blue Ford van on a forest road. Police also discovered an empty AR-15 case in a nearby forest, as well as a dead cell phone. They later located the rifle, although investigators do not know if he was carrying more weapons.
Among the gunman’s victims was Rebecca Puryear, a 28-year-old woman who was returning with her husband and 4-year-old son from a day of leisure in a nearby town. She was driving the car. The bullet pierced the driver’s side window, struck her right arm, entered her chest and exited through her left arm after passing through it. The young woman, however, was able to drive almost a mile until she was sure that the family was out of the shooter’s range. A patrol car took her minutes later to the hospital. “I’m a walking miracle,” she told CNN.
Who is Joseph Couch?
The alleged sniper lives in Woodbine, a community 20 miles south of the shooting. According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph Couch is a “white male, 5’7″ tall and approximately 160 pounds.” He allegedly purchased the gun and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition on Saturday morning. According to Capt. Richard Dalrymple, Couch has military experience and served in the National Guard for at least four years.
The motive for the shooting is unknown, but police describe him as a “dangerous and armed” individual. According to officer Gilbert Acciardo, authorities do not believe the shooting was triggered by a traffic dispute. In fact, investigators believe it was “planned,” although the motive was still unknown on Monday. “We want to be safe and for others to be safe too,” said the police spokesman about the extensive search operation, before denying that it was a “manhunt.” “We want to capture the suspect alive,” he stressed.
The search has now entered its third day and there has been no trace of the attacker. The authorities have mobilised helicopters, drones and canine teams, but the terrain does not make it easy. The area has a mountainous and wild profile, to the point that the agents need machetes to advance in some areas invaded by undergrowth. “It’s like a jungle,” said one of the 150 officers involved in the search. There are also many forest tracks along which a person in good physical condition could escape with relative ease. The police also do not rule out that Couch committed suicide.
Schools have remained closed on Monday and there has been little movement. Authorities have warned residents in the area to take security measures at home and to be extremely vigilant when moving around.
#Police #searching #dangerous #sniper #shot #cars #Kentucky #highway #Diario #Vasco