Manhunt intensifies for suspect in Kentucky highway shooting who eluded police

The grueling manhunt for a suspect wanted in a highway shooting has been going on for five days. Authorities say the man is believed to have fled deep into a wooded area in southeastern Kentucky, with no evidence to suggest he fled anywhere else.

The search for Joseph A. Couch, a former Army reservist, has been conducted using helicopters and drones equipped with infrared technology, while special response teams and trained dogs track him across thousands of jungle-like acres. Soldiers hack through thick vegetation with machetes and scour sandstone cliffs and caves for signs that they are closing in.

Officials say Couch, 32, injured five people Saturday night in what appeared to be a random attack, and they fear he may be planning to kill.

As work continued Thursday, police and the public asked for tips about possible sightings of Couch, saying he must be desperate and dehydrated if he is still alive in the woods.

“Whether he’s dead or alive,” Kentucky State Police Chief Scottie Pennington told reporters Tuesday, “our job is to find him.”

A serious textual warning

On Saturday afternoon around 5 p.m., a woman who shares a child with Couch called Laurel County dispatch with a chilling message.

“I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well, at least try,” Couch wrote to her, according to an arrest affidavit.

He continued: “I’ll kill myself after that.”

Half an hour later, dispatchers were inundated with multiple reports from motorists on Interstate 75, about 8 miles north of the rural community of London. Callers were panicking.

“My foot was hit,” someone said.

Another could be heard telling a companion, “Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath. … I love you.”

And in another clip: “I’m with a lady who’s been shot in the side, and I’m applying pressure.”

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office would later determine that at least 12 vehicles were hit and that some drivers were unaware of the damage until they arrived at their destination. Five people suffered gunshot wounds, some to the face, arms and chest, none of which were life-threatening, police said.

They believe that about 20 to 30 bullets were fired.

That same day, they had a person of interest. And not long after, warrants were issued for Couch’s arrest on five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.

Trail of evidence

An abandoned silver Toyota SUV was parked on a US Forest Service road.

Police found the vehicle around 7:55 p.m. Saturday night and determined it was registered to Couch. That was a “lucky find,” Sheriff Gilbert Acciardo later told reporters.

An AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle was also found near the SUV, near where Couch is believed to have been standing on the cliff during the rampage. The vehicles were struck at a “steep angle,” with bullet holes consistent with that type of rifle, the affidavit said.

“You could have just shot him on the highway from that wooded location,” Acciardo said.

In addition, detectives seized a gun case, a magazine of ammunition and an army bag with Couch’s name written on it in black marker.

But where was Couch?

That first evening, dozens of police officers searched the dangerous terrain for hours before moving on Sunday morning.

By then, the public had been warned about Couch: A photocopied photo of him smiling slightly was shared online by authorities who said he should be considered “armed and dangerous.” Residents were urged to lock their doors, but police believe he didn’t get far and is most likely within the rugged confines of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

“There are so many people around the world who are paying attention to this investigation that we should have had a pretty good tip by now that he was leaving the woods,” Pennington told reporters 72 hours after the surgery. “We didn’t.”

The goal, he said, is simple: To exhaust Couch, “like hide-and-seek.”

Motive for attack

Couch legally obtained the semi-automatic rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition Saturday morning from Center Target Firearms, a gun store in London, according to the arrest affidavit. He paid $2,914.40.

It is not immediately clear what prompted him to attack. Authorities say there is no evidence he specifically targeted anyone or worked with others.

Someone who answered Couch’s mother’s phone hung up when NBC News called.

Meanwhile, details about Couch’s life have emerged as local, state and federal agencies work together to find him.

He served in the Army Reserve from 2013 to 2019 and as a combat engineer before being honorably discharged, according to state police and an Army spokesman. London Mayor Randall Weddle told NBC News that Couch never deployed, adding that family members also told investigators that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

During the search, authorities went to his home in Woodbine, about 23 miles (37 kilometers) from the shooting, to collect evidence.

Local prosecutors say his criminal record includes a March dismissal of a charge of making a terroristic threat involving an altercation with a man with a dog, and at least one alleged traffic violation.

The text messages Couch allegedly sent on Saturday after purchasing a firearm suggest a fragile state of mind.

Because police do not know where Couch is, schools in Laurel County remain closed as a precaution and some businesses are only offering drive-thru service.

Authorities are asking people to call and provide tips. The reward that could lead to his arrest has increased to $35,000.

The foot search remains daunting, Pennington said, as daytime temperatures have remained above 80 degrees. Rain is also forecast for the region in the coming days. For officers, any fallen tree “that doesn’t look right” is a potential clue. Even abandoned candy bar wrappers are considered evidence, Pennington said.

“I hope he doesn’t have water, and I hope he doesn’t have food,” Pennington said at a news conference Tuesday. “I hope he’s exhausted and eventually walks out of the woods.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com