Manhunt for interstate shooting suspect still underway

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - Kentucky State Police gave an update Monday evening on the effort to apprehend Jason Couch, the suspect in Saturday’s I-75 shooting near London, Kentucky.

Scottie Pennington, a Public Affairs Officer with Kentucky State Police, says the manhunt is like a methodical, dangerous game of hide-and-seek in a jungle.

Two days after the shooting, dozens of law enforcement agencies are still working on hunting the suspect down in Laurel County, including the FBI and ATF.

They’re using drones, helicopters, ATVs and canines to scour thousands of acres of rugged terrain.

Couch is accused of firing an AR-15 into moving traffic from a ridge above the interstate.

All of the victims who were hit are stable and expected to survive.

Until the suspect is found, troopers are urging people who live in the area to be cautious and check on their neighbors.

“We hope he’s still in that area,” Pennington said. “We hope we have him contained, but we all know they don’t always end that way, so we’re going to continue. As our search gets broader, it gets wider. We’re going to go every day and try to find him.”

Pennington says they’re hoping this ends with the suspect turning himself in peacefully.

“Our goal is to apply steady pressure at wearing Mr. Couch down,” Pennington said. “The longer he’s in the woods -- last night it got pretty chilly. Today it got pretty hot. Hopefully he has no water and nothing to eat.”

Pennington is also urging people who live in the area to not try to be a hero and search for the suspect themselves.

He says law enforcement in surrounding communities and states have been notified to be on the lookout for a man matching Couch’s description.