Seven people were injured in a shooting on a highway in Laurel County, Kentucky, on Saturday afternoon, local authorities said.
Kentucky police confirmed the incident took place on Interstate 75 near exit 49 and that the attacker, identified as Joseph A. Couch, 32, remains at large.
The shooting forced a temporary closure of the highway in both directions while the situation, described by authorities as an “active shooter,” was handled.
Authorities said the suspect opened fire on several vehicles from a wooded area or overpass, striking “numerous people.”
According to the official version, the “armed and dangerous” white man, 1.75 meters tall and around 70 kilos, fled the scene in a blue Ford pickup truck with a silver roof.
According to state police spokesman Scottie Pennington, no fatalities have been confirmed, although the injured have “serious injuries.” Local media outlets such as WYMT also reported the severity of the injuries, although without giving further details.
The attack occurred in a rural area of Laurel County, south of Lexington, one of Kentucky’s largest cities. Authorities urged local residents to stay home and avoid any contact with the suspect.
“Do not attempt to approach him,” the sheriff’s office warned, also posting a message on Facebook warning of Couch’s dangerousness.
Images broadcast by local media, including CNN, showed abandoned vehicles with their doors open in the middle of the road, suggesting that drivers and passengers fled quickly amid the chaos.
In a statement, the Democratic Party condemned the shooting and stressed that “Americans should not have to live in fear of being shot while crossing a bridge.”
“We have to do better,” the statement said, pointing to the need to reform gun laws.
“We have to do better,” the statement said, pointing to the need to reform gun laws.
The stretch of highway where the shooting occurred has been closed and traffic has been diverted as the search for the suspect continues.
This incident comes shortly after another tragic shooting in the state of Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed at a school.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder, while his father, who allegedly gave him the gun used, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder.
Gun control remains a contentious issue in the United States, with divisions between both Democrats and Republicans. Some believe that current laws are not sufficient to prevent tragedies such as the one in Kentucky, while others defend the constitutional right to own weapons.
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