Video above: Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Workplace offers an replace on the seek for Joseph A. Sofa on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024.
LONDON, Ky. (WDKY/AP) — Authorities say they’ve discovered a automobile belonging to the suspect in Saturday’s taking pictures alongside a Kentucky interstate, in addition to a firearm which will have been concerned. The suspect, nonetheless, stays at massive.
Authorities had been looking out a rugged and hilly space north of London, a neighborhood of about 8,000 individuals roughly 75 miles south of Lexington, on Sunday, searching for 32-year-old Joseph A. Sofa.
Sofa — who earlier this 12 months confronted a later-dropped misdemeanor cost for terroristic threatening, based on court docket data — is from Woodbine, a small neighborhood about 20 miles south of the taking pictures scene.
He was initially thought-about an individual of curiosity after authorities discovered an SUV registered to him on a service highway close to the place Saturday’s violence broke out on Interstate 75.
Whereas talking with reporters Sunday afternoon, Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Workplace, stated Sofa had turn into a suspect “as a result of totality of all the pieces that we have developed up to now.”
Within the SUV, authorities discovered a rifle case. On Sunday, whereas close to the place the SUV had been discovered, authorities recovered a semi-automatic weapon. The firearm was in an elevated wooded space subsequent to the freeway “that he might have shot down upon the interstate from,” Acciardo stated.
He cautioned that they “haven’t decided that [Couch] is the person who fired the weapon.” Federal authorities are serving to to course of the proof.
Saturday night, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Workplace was known as to a portion of Interstate close to London for a report of gunshots.
Once they arrived on the scene, they discovered quite a few autos on the aspect of the freeway at Exit 49. A person who was “off that exit” fired a number of rounds into the northbound and southbound lanes, putting 9 autos and wounding 5 individuals, Acciardo stated. The shooter was not in a automobile on the time.
The wounded — one individual from Kentucky and others from out of state — had been hospitalized in secure situation early Sunday. Some had “very critical” accidents, together with one individual shot within the face, Acciardo stated.
Two different individuals had been damage within the automobile accident, he stated.
Acciardo stated the taking pictures gave the impression to be a “random act” of violence, and would not speculate as to a doable motive. Authorities consider there was just one shooter and Acciardo stated they don’t consider the taking pictures was sparked by highway rage.
Investigators are persevering with to seek for Sofa as of Sunday afternoon.
“We do not know the place he is at,” Acciardo advised reporter, noting that whereas they consider Sofa remains to be within the space they’re looking out, he may very well be some place else. “He could not have picked an space that is any extra distant and troublesome for us to attempt to find him.”
Nonetheless, Acciardo emphasised that authorities nonetheless consider Sofa is within the space they’re looking out.
Sofa is taken into account armed and harmful, and authorities have suggested the general public to not try to method him. Anybody with data relating to Sofa’s whereabouts or location is requested to contact the London-Laurel County 911 Middle by calling 911 or 606-878-7000.
“We wish to get him tonight,” Acciardo advised reporters Sunday afternoon. “We wish to get him earlier than it will get darkish once more, however no guarantees. We will do our highest.”
Residents of Laurel County had been on edge as authorities searched on foot Sunday in a distant wooded space close to the freeway that has just one enterprise and some homes close by. London Laurel Rescue squad despatched a drone to help. State lawmakers from Laurel County urged residents within the space to remain residence in the course of the search.
“We had quite a few calls all through the county and we’re nonetheless getting them this morning,” Acciardo stated, of calls from involved neighborhood members. “This can be a distant space. If he was going to focus on some place that he wished to do one thing like this, it was the right spot.”
Rodney Goodlett, pastor of Religion Meeting of God in London, was serving to direct site visitors as parishioners gathered for a service Sunday morning. He stated he anticipated the search to carry down attendance.
“There’s undoubtedly individuals … that most likely received’t be right here in the present day — simply nervous with the suspect nonetheless at massive,” he stated.
Goodlett stated the congregation was going to hope for the neighborhood, the wounded and the primary responders, a few of whom attend Religion Meeting, the place round 275 parishioners pray every week.
“That is tragic, clearly, that any person would randomly do violent acts,” he stated. “You hear media issues going down throughout our nation, however then when it hits residence, it’s a bit little bit of a wake-up name.”
“We do have the realm contained proper now. It’s a really fluid investigation. Our persons are nonetheless on the scene. Our particular response crew is there. We’re looking for a shooter there,” he stated.
State lawmakers from Laurel County urged residents within the space to remain residence as police continued to seek for the shooter.
“Unquestionably, that is an act of mindless violence that doesn’t mirror the values of this neighborhood, our Commonwealth, or its individuals,” they stated in an announcement.
In a video replace on Fb late Saturday night time, London Mayor Randall Weddle tried to calm fears because the search continued for the gunman. He urged residents to name 911 in the event that they hear or see something suspicious close to their houses.
Under: London, KY mayor provides an replace following the taking pictures from a livestream hosted on the city‘s Fb web page
“We’re asking of us, please, don’t go outdoors your own home taking pictures as a result of we’d have first responders in that space. It is necessary to know you might be protected. We’ve a number of companies on this neighborhood, within the metropolis of London and in Laurel County,” Weddle stated.
Weddle stated searchers “know the final space the place this particular person is,” however he wouldn’t launch particular particulars.
“I’m receiving preliminary studies from the Kentucky State Police and our Workplace of Homeland Safety — collectively we’re actively monitoring the scenario and providing help in any manner doable,” Gov. Andy Beshear stated in a submit on the social platform X. “Please pray for everybody concerned.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
