Alleged Kentucky highway shooter charged with terroristic threats months before buying gun as manhunt enters 3rd day

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Joseph Couch
Authorities are still searching for purported gunman Joseph Couch, 32, after he allegedly sprayed bullets from an AR-15 at unsuspecting drivers on Interstate 15, near London, Kentucky, on Saturday, according to the FBI. FBI

The man accused of injuring five people driving down a Kentucky highway purchased the semi-automatic rifle used in the commission of the shooting the same day he allegedly carried out the attack.

Authorities are still searching for purported gunman Joseph Couch, 32, after he allegedly sprayed bullets from an AR-15 at unsuspecting drivers on Interstate 75, near London, Kentucky, on Saturday, according to the FBI.

Twelve vehicles were shot at, resulting in the non-fatal injuries of five people, said authorities, according to the Associated Press.

The frantic search for Couch prompted the closure of more than a dozen area school districts Monday, as the manhunt for him entered its third day.

"We're not going to quit until we lay hands on him," Laurel County Sheriff John Root told reporters Sunday, according to the AP.

Couch has been charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, prosecutors said, CNN reported.

He previously served in the National Guard and has a "very minimal" criminal record in the state. Prosecutors said Couch was charged with terroristic threatening earlier this year, but the charges were dismissed.

A motive in the weekend shooting remains under investigation.

Tags
U.S. Crime, Shooting, Kentucky, Manhunt
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