Highway Shooting Suspect Vowed to 'Kill a Lot of People'

The man accused of shooting at vehicles on Interstate 75 in Kentucky, injuring five people, said in a text message that he planned to "kill a lot of people," according to court documents. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Joseph Couch, 32, told his ex-wife, "I'm going to kill a lot of people," adding, "Well (I'm going to) try at least." In a follow-up text, he vowed: "I'll kill myself afterwards." The messages were sent less than 30 minutes before Couch allegedly started shooting at drivers in a rural area around 75 miles south of Lexington on Saturday. Police say at least 12 vehicles were hit.

As the manhunt in a rugged area near the small city of London continued Monday, Couch was charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, NBC News reports. Officials say he legally bought an AR-15-style rifle and around 1,000 rounds of ammunition in London on Saturday morning. The rifle was found near Couch's vehicle. The US Army said Couch served as a combat engineer in the Army Reserve from March 2013 to January 2019. The Army said he was a private when he left and had no deployments, the AP reports.

London Mayor Randall Weddle said Monday that relatives told investigators Couch was struggling with PTSD, reports NBC News. He said Couch is believed to be hiding out in rough, heavily wooded terrain that includes an old salt mine cave. People should keep in mind that Couch "has a military background," the mayor said. "So when you hear a helicopter and it's blacked out, he knows to hide, or he hears the thrum." More than a dozen school districts in southeast Kentucky canceled classes on Monday. "We're not going to quit until we do lay hands on him," said Laurel County Sheriff John Root. (More Kentucky stories.)