‘First disbelief, then shock’: London, KY mayor on I-75 shootings in Kentucky

For London, Kentucky, Mayor Randall Weddle the past two days have been “intense,” yet he’s also seen the community come together in “beautiful” ways.

The small town about 75 miles south of Lexington was thrust into the spotlight this weekend when shootings occurred along Interstate 75, injuring five people. As of Monday afternoon, the search for suspected shooter Joseph A. Couch is continuing, and none of the injuries has been fatal.

Couch has been charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County, for allegedly shooting into cars on Interstate 75 on Saturday near London, Kentucky. Five people were seriously injured as a result.

Weddle said there’s “a real eerie feeling” in town as Couch’s location remains unknown. At least nine Kentucky school districts and a community college campus closed Monday as police continued the search.

“I don’t know that as an elected official, as a leader, you’re prepared for this,” Weddle told the Herald-Leader Monday afternoon.

What we know about the shootings on I-75 in Kentucky

London has around 7,500 residents, according to U.S. Census data, and is home to one of the nation’s busiest north-south interstates.

“There’s just great people here, and we see it in this troubling time,” Weddle said. “The community’s come together, feeding first responders, donating water, food. In the town itself, you won’t find a more loving, inviting town in the state. We have many great ones, but I’m partial to London.”

Weddle has been mayor for two years, and said when he was elected, his priorities were on improving infrastructure and opportunities in his community. When he heard about the shootings this weekend, he was shocked, but knew he had to spring into action.

“You just never think that this is going to actually happen,” Weddle said. “When it happened, I didn’t know what to think, other than shock. First disbelief, then shock.”

Weddle said he has been grateful for the support from local, state and national government, and the ways he’s seen the community come together. He encouraged people to remain calm, but smart, over the coming days.

“I do not want one crazed individual that chose violence to control us, but we have to use common sense and be vigilant and to remember we are Kentucky proud and we’re going to get through this,” Weddle said.

“But for the next several hours or the next several days, use common sense. Be vigilant, but don’t become so paranoid and don’t let this control you so much that it’s sending you into a panic.”

Weddle also urged people to use caution when it comes to seeing misinformation about the shootings on social media. Seek out information from authorities like law enforcement or government for the most accurate and up-to-date information, he said.

The search for Couch continued on Monday as authorities searched the rugged, wooded terrain in Laurel County.

Police could also charge Couch with wanton endangerment and criminal mischief for shooting into other cars where people were not hurt. An anonymous donor has offered a $10,000 gift to the sheriff’s office for information leading to Couch’s capture, and the Kentucky State Police is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.

Police said Couch is believed to have shot into 12 cars on I-75 at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday from a vantage point on a ledge hillside overlooking the busy road in northern Laurel County. Four of the victims were transported to a hospital, while the fifth victim arrived at the hospital them self, according to an affidavit.

Shortly before opening fire on unsuspecting travelers on Interstate 75, Joseph Couch sent a chilling text to his ex-wife pledging, “I’m going to kill a lot of people.”

He added, “Well (I’m going to) try at least.” Couch sent a follow-up text: “I’ll kill myself afterwards...” The stunning details emerged Monday in affidavits released by authorities connected to criminal charges slapped on the 32-year-old man. The documents were reviewed by the Herald-Leader.

Police have not released information on the motive for the shootings, and said they do not believe Couch was targeting specific people, but have recovered his vehicle and the AR-15 assault-style rifle they say likely was used in the shooting.

Police have been searching for Couch in the heavily wooded area near the interstate since Saturday evening.

The search is made more difficult by the rugged, wooded terrain where authorities are searching for Couch. Weddle posted pictures of the search area on Monday, which he described as a “vast wooded area” with “many caves found within it.”

State, local and federal authorities are all involved in the search, Kentucky State Police said Monday.