‘Armed and dangerous’ man sought after 5 injured in shooting on I-75 in Kentucky

***CONSIDER ARMED AND DANGEROUS***, the London Police Department warned on Facebook.

“DON’T TRY TO GET CLOSE.”

People in the area are asked to stay indoors and remain vigilant.

“If you think you heard something outside your home, please do not go out shooting,” London Mayor Weddle said. “Our police officers may be in that area or first responders. Call 911.”

Weddle told WKYT they are searching for Couch in a rural area of ​​Laurel County.

The interstate reopened four hours later.

Around 5:30 p.m. local time Saturday, Laurel County Sheriff John Root said deputies called in a report of a shooting victim near Exit 49 on I-75.

Responding deputies found nine vehicles struck by gunfire in both the northbound and southbound lanes. Five people were seriously injured.

The interstate was closed for hours “due to the danger of vehicles passing through the area of ​​the shooting,” police said.

The interstate was closed in both directions between Mount Vernon and London for about three hours Saturday night, until just before 9:30 p.m.

KY 909 and US 25 in Laurel County remain closed 9 miles north of London in Laurel County.

The FBI, the U.S. Marshal Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the search, according to the sheriff’s office.

Weddle told WKYT that all five victims were in stable condition after being taken to St. Joseph Health in London for treatment.

ABC News confirmed that at least two were taken to the University of Kentucky HealthCare in Lexington, but their conditions were not released.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear posted on X on Saturday night: “I-75 has reopened — but this is an ongoing investigation. We thank our police and first responders for their work.”

The London Travel Plaza, near I-75, closed for safety reasons, and employees moved into a windowless room.

A woman driving on I-75 with a friend from Rochester, New York, to Knoxville, Tennessee, described the ordeal to CNN.

“We were just driving, and all of a sudden, it was like a rock came through my back window, and it hurt my ear,” DiNoto said. “And we looked at each other and we were like,

“Was it a gunshot?” And then we thought, “No, it wasn’t a gunshot.”

DiNoto said she initially thought a truck driving next to her car slowed down and pulled over to the shoulder of the interstate because of a tire blowout. Then she said they saw several police cars speeding past and “so many” tires on the shoulder of the interstate.

When they arrived at a friend’s house, they saw what appeared to be paint scratches on the back of her car.

“My hands are still shaking,” DiNoto said.