Kentucky Shooter at Large After Wounding at Least Seven Along Highway, Reports Reuters

By Rich McKay

Kentucky police are currently searching through rugged terrain near a national forest for a suspect following an incident in which at least seven individuals were shot while driving on a rural stretch of Interstate 75, according to officials on Saturday evening.

The alarming situation began just before 6 p.m. when authorities responded to reports of gunfire directed at vehicles on the highway in Laurel County. Initial reports suggest that the shots originated from either a wooded area or an overpass.

London’s Mayor Randall Weddle, representing the small city of approximately 8,000 residents near the Daniel Boone National Forest, confirmed via a social media post that seven individuals sustained injuries, including some gunshot wounds, but he noted that there have been no reported fatalities. Additional details regarding the casualties have not been disclosed by police.

Mayor Weddle urged locals to "keep your doors locked while this guy is on the loose."

This shooting incident follows a recent tragic event in Winder, Georgia, where a high school shooting resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers, and injuries to nine others shortly after the school year commenced. A 14-year-old student and his father have been charged in connection with that incident, which involved a firearm.

A section of the highway where the Kentucky shootings occurred was temporarily closed but has since been reopened, despite the ongoing search for the suspect.

Approximately three hours after the shooting, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office identified a "person of interest," described as "armed and dangerous," and cautioned the public against approaching him. The suspect, a 32-year-old man, remains at large.

Trooper Scottie Pennington of the Kentucky State Police advised the public to remain indoors, stating, "The suspect has not been caught at this time."

Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have joined local law enforcement efforts, labeling the situation as a "critical incident."