Kentucky State Police announced they found a dead body on Wednesday, the twelfth day of a manhunt for a suspect accused of shooting at vehicles on the Interstate 75.
“Kentucky State Police troopers have located a body in the vicinity of exit 49 in Laurel County and detectives are working to confirm the identity,” Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington wrote on Facebook.
Officials have been searching for 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch since September 7, when he allegedly opened fire at vehicles about “30-feet down from the top of a cliff” near I-75 in Laurel County.
Five people were injured in the shooting, all of whom are expected to survive. Two people were wounded in a subsequent car accident.
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley and Knox County Sheriff’s Department
State, local and federal officials searched over 28,000 acres for Couch, most of which were within the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Multiple school districts and independent schools chose to close or move to a remote instruction model in the days following the shooting.
Laurel County Public Schools reopened for in-person instruction on Tuesday for the first time since the shooting occurred. Schools in the district were previously closed, then moved to a remote instruction model.
The district announced that there will be increased law enforcement presence on rural bus routes. They also recommended that children stay with a parent or guardian until the bus arrives. There will also be increased law enforcement presence at each school in the district and after-school events.
“We appreciate the support, trust, and cooperation of our families and the community as we safely return to school,” the district said on its website. “Laurel County Schools District administration and police department will continue communications with law enforcement and emergency agencies regarding the situation in our county. Should the need arise, we will adjust and communicate an updated plan. Families should continue to look for information and announcements on their child’s school webpage and Facebook page.”
Some local businesses and institutions also closed after the shooting.
The Laurel County Public Library was closed for two days after the attack.
“I made the decision to close based on the number of staff that would be in the building and whether or not I was able to have my security team here,” Laurel County Public Library Director Leah Rudder told Newsweek.
Rudder also said she couldn’t believe that this happened in her community.
“It scared me, it made me nervous,” Rudder said. “I’ve lived in Laurel County my entire life. I’m very familiar with the area [where] that happened in.”
Kosta Ververis of Dino’s Italian Restaurant in London, Kentucky, told Newsweek his business was ordered to close on September 7 following the shooting. It has since reopened, but he has seen a decrease in customers.
“It’s been decreased because schools are not open, no public activities, no outdoor activities, no football,” Ververis said. “And parents staying home with their kids, and they can’t go to work because they can’t find a babysitter.”
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