At least 9 KY school districts closed amid police manhunt for mass highway shooter
At least nine Kentucky school districts and a community college campus closed Monday as police continued the search for the man suspected of shooting five people along Interstate 75 in southern Kentucky on Saturday.
Online statements said that the following districts had closed: Leslie, Laurel, Jackson, Rockcastle, Clay, Lincoln, Knox counties and Corbin Independent and East Bernstadt schools.
Laurel County Schools’ statement was typical. It said: “Student and Staff safety is a priority in the Laurel County Public Schools; therefore, out of an abundance of caution, school is canceled for tomorrow, Monday, September 9, 2024.”
At least one community college campus also closed -- Somerset Community College’s Laurel Campus.
“Out of an abundance of caution, SCC Laurel Campuses will be closed on Monday, September 9. All in-person classes are canceled and employees are asked to work remote, if possible. Be safe and stay alert of your surroundings,” a statement said.
Police found a car and a gun belonging to the suspect, but they had not found the alleged shooter by the time they suspended their search at nightfall Sunday. Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, said Sunday.
Police found a silver Honda CRV registered to 32-year-old Joseph Couch near the interstate on Saturday night, establishing Couch as a person of interest in the shootings.