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Officials shift focus for London shooting suspect. What to know about the new approach

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Officials shift focus for London shooting suspect. What to know about the new approach


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Kentucky officials are pivoting the focus of their search for Joseph Couch, the man accused of shooting five people and 12 cars on Interstate 75 on Sept. 7, away from the Daniel Boone National Forest and toward community centers, according to a Kentucky State Police news release issued Tuesday.

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The announcement comes 10 days after the shooting occurred, which spurred a manhunt that sprawled 28,000 acres of rugged, dense forest and utilized helicopters, drones and on-the-ground search techniques. The manhunt is now called off, and law enforcement officials will focus on increasing their presence in nearby residential areas.

“In the beginning, the best way to find the suspect was in the forest. As that has become less likely over the past several days, our best plan to provide safety now is to augment law enforcement in this community to where our people are,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in the news release. “Beginning this afternoon, we will begin transitioning state and local law enforcement and agencies from a manhunt to a larger presence in the community. We stand united in this approach and our commitment to protect people of this region.”

The Kentucky State Police will continue leading the search effort in the Daniel Boone National Forest, albeit with scaled back methods, according to the release. The agency is withdrawing its personnel and will use aircraft and cameras that have been placed throughout the forest.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office will continue leading the shooting investigation, and state and local law enforcement presence in public areas, like along roadways, at schools and at sporting events, will increase.

“This will include moving patrols onto roadways, increasing security and visibility at local schools and bus routes and increasing the presence of law enforcement at local sporting events,” Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said in the release. “We feel the best way to prioritize community safety is to use technology and aircraft while transitioning the bulk of our state and local law enforcement resources out of the forest and into our communities.”

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U.S. Marshals consider Couch a fugitive

The U.S. Marshals Service is considering Couch a fugitive, spokesperson Jeremy Honaker said in the release. The federal fugitive task force, a law enforcement body focused on capturing wanted violent criminals, will continue to provide resources to local and state agencies in the search for Couch.

Couch, 32, was identified by Laurel County officials as a person of interest in the I-75 shooting the night of the incident. He was named a suspect a day later.

He’s been charged in the incident by Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County, with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.

Officials are offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to Couch’s arrest.

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What happened in the London shooting?

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 following reports of a gunshot victim on I-75 near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, roughly eight miles north of London. Officers noticed multiple vehicles parked on the side of the highway with broken windows and visible bullet holes when they arrived. Twelve vehicles were found shot on both sides of the roadway and five individuals were injured — all of them survived.

The shooting caused an hours-long closure of I-75 as the search for a suspect commenced.

Authorities located Couch’s car, a silver SUV, the night of the shooting. On the afternoon of Sept. 8, police found an AR-15 in the wooded area near Exit 49 of I-75, along with fully loaded magazines. Authorities said at the time that the weapon may have been used in the shooting.

An employee of a nearby gun shop, Center Target Firearms, confirmed to police that Couch had purchased an AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the store the morning of the shooting, according to an affidavit released by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. The firearm discovered by police matched the description of the one Couch purchased that day.

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Couch also told the mother of his child via text that he was planning to “kill a lot of people” less than an hour before the incident, according to the affidavit. He added that he planned to kill himself afterward.



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Northern Kentucky claims 4 titles at Class 3A indoor track state meet

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Northern Kentucky claims 4 titles at Class 3A indoor track state meet


The Kentucky High School Athletic Association indoor state track meet rolled on on Wednesday, March 4. One day after Beechwood claimed the Class 1A boys team title, three Northern Kentucky big schools combined for four individual state titles in Class 3A.

Cooper’s Paul Van Laningham won the 3,200-meter run in 9:09.49 and took second place in the 1,600-meter run in 4:07.88. It was a reversal of his results at the 2025 indoor state meet and earned him his fifth overall state title. He scored all of Cooper’s points, good for ninth place in the team standings with 18 points.

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Van Laningham’s teammate, Ava Dunn, got the day started with a shot put title, throwing the 8.82-pound ball 39 feet, 3.25 inches.

Simon Kenton’s Alexis Howard won the long jump with an attempt of 18 feet, 7.25 inches, then claimed the triple jump title with a distance of 37 feet, 4.25 inches. It is her second straight indoor long jump title and third overall as she also claimed the 2024 outdoor title. Taking fifth place in the 55-meter dash, she scored all 24 points for SK, finishing in a tie for eighth place. Cooper was right behind with 22 points.

Finally, Conner’s Avery Vanlandingham win the 800-meter run in 2:17.55, out-leaning North Oldham’s Millie Huang at the line.



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Arkansas women’s basketball blown out by Kentucky in season-ending loss at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports

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Arkansas women’s basketball blown out by Kentucky in season-ending loss at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports





Arkansas women’s basketball blown out by Kentucky in season-ending loss at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports







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Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football

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Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football


A wide receiver from Belle Glade, Florida, Gilmore totaled 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has had a very interesting offseason as he entered the portal, flipped a commitment, and is now back in Lexington.

After the 2025 season, Gilmore committed to Louisville when he entered the transfer portal, then flipped his commitment to Baylor, and ultimately signed with the Bears. To end Gilmore’s portal saga, he’s now back in a familiar place with the Wildcats.

When the 2026 season begins, Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Gilmore had a solid sophomore campaign with the Wildcats, appearing in all 12 games. His best game of the season came in the late-season loss against Vanderbilt. He tallied six catches for 55 yards in the game.

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With Kentucky losing most of its wide receiver production from last season, this is a significant pickup, and it won’t be surprising if Gilmore is back in the starting lineup this fall.



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