Kentucky
What We Know So Far About the Kentucky Shooter, Still On the Loose
Authorities in Laurel County, Kentucky, are on their third day in the pursuit of Joseph A. Couch, 32, who is the lead suspect in Saturday’s shooting that injured five and shut down I-75 for three hours.
Couch reportedly fired a total of 20 to 30 rounds into both south- and northbound lanes of the interstate, hitting up to 12 cars and causing numerous collisions. On Sunday, London, Kentucky, mayor Randle Weddle told The Courier Journal that there were no fatalities but that all injured victims were in the hospital.
What happened in Laurel County on Saturday?
Around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, authorities responded to calls of an active shooter on I-75, near Exit 49 in Laurel County. According to police, Couch is believed to have been firing from a hillside that overlooked the congested road. Earlier that morning, authorities say that Couch legally purchased an AR-15 rifle and up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition in London, Kentucky, a city eight miles from Exit 49, which has a population of 7,600 and sits 75 miles south of Lexington.
Later that Saturday, authorities recovered Couch’s SUV on a service road near the scene, and on Sunday later retrieved the weapon from a wooded area, which they believe is the location from which he shot into the interstate.
Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, told The Courier Journal that as of Sunday, all five victims are in stable condition and are expected to survive. Acciardo reported that of the five victims shot, one was shot in the face, another in the arm, and another in the chest.
Who is Joseph A. Couch?
Joseph A. Couch is a 32-year-old Kentucky native who, according to WKYT-TV, served six years in the Army reserve (some outlets had previously reported he was in the National Guard). The Laurel County sheriff’s office described him to be about 5-foot-10-inches tall and weighing around 154 pounds. Couch’s most recent address was reported to be in Woodbine, Kentucky, 20 miles south of the scene.
In February of this year, Couch was charged with terroristic threatening in Knox County after threatening his neighbor with an “AR.” The charges were later dropped.
According to authorities, Couch didn’t seem to have a particular target in mind, although they believe he strategically picked the location. The area’s rocky terrain, which is reportedly difficult to navigate, seemingly aided in his getaway, making the search difficult due to what authorities described as “walking in a jungle” because of the need for machetes to cut through the woods.
Couch is charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, police can possibly charge him with wanton endangerment and criminal mischief for shooting into the cars of the people who were not hurt.
What’s next in the search for the alleged Kentucky shooter?
With authorities on their third day of searching, Kentucky State Police master trooper Scottie Pennington told local stations it was their recommendation for residents to stay in the house, keep their porch lights on, and monitor any security devices they may have.
School districts in the area canceled school on Monday to ensure the safety and protection of students and staff. Rolling Stone requested information from the Laurel County Board of Education on whether school will resume tomorrow. An employee from the district, who declined to share their name and title, said that the decision was pending and will be announced on Facebook.
Mayor Weddle has encouraged anyone with information to call the authorities with tips and told local news station WKYT-TV that a private donor is offering to pay $10,000 in reward for any information that leads to Couch’s arrest. Kentucky State Police are offering an additional $5,000, bringing the reward total to $15,000.
The semifinal stage is set for No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball, as the Wildcats prepare to take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Final Four on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 9:00 PM ET inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Kentucky has been dominant throughout the NCAA Tournament, including a 3–0 sweep of Wofford, a sweep against Cal Poly in the Sweet 16, and a sweep over Creighton in the Elite Eight. Their only dropped set came in the Round of 32 against UCLA. Outside of that brief hiccup, Kentucky has controlled matches from start to finish and remains undefeated at home this season.
Wisconsin arrives in Kansas City after a statement win over No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight. The Badgers earned a measure of revenge against the Longhorns, who handed Wisconsin one of its four losses during the regular season. Kentucky accounted for Texas’ other two defeats, beating the Longhorns in both the regular season and the SEC Tournament championship.
Thursday’s matchup also carries historical weight for Big Blue Nation. Wisconsin was the team that ended Kentucky men’s basketball’s perfect 38–0 season in the 2015 Final Four, denying the Wildcats an undefeated national title.
Now, Kentucky volleyball has an opportunity to write a different ending against the Badgers on the sport’s biggest stage.
If the Wildcats advance, they’ll face the winner of the other national semifinal matchup, which sees No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, who actually handed Kentucky one of its regular-season losses, take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M, whom the Cats defeated in College Station.
With a spot in the national championship match on the line, the Wildcats will look to continue their dominant run and settle an old score. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21, on ABC at 3:30 PM ET.
Kentucky has had a week off following their 82-55 win over Central Michigan, and now, the Cats retake the court down in Nashville to take on the Belmont Bruins. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the two programs. Kentucky won its contest against Belmont last season by just six points at home — an 84-78 game in which the Bruins gave Kentucky all it could handle.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Belmont squad and the upcoming game.
Bio Blast
Belmont is 4-5 on the season, but this isn’t your average 4-5 Missouri Valley Conference team. Three of those five losses came to AP ranked teams and Princeton, who they also lost to, was the first team outside of the AP Poll in the latest release. So, make that four of their five losses that have come to AP top 26 teams.
Amidst those losses came a defeat to McNeese. That’s their only real stinker on the season. For most of the game, Belmont kept it close against No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 21 Ohio State and Princeton who, again, is right outside the AP top 25.
Kentucky is 4-0 all-time against Belmont, and all of those matches have taken place since 2014. Georgia Amoore had 23 points and five assists in last year’s win over the Bruins. Amelia Hassett had a notable outing as well, scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and getting two steals as she played in all 40 minutes of the game.
Scouting Report
Speaking of last year’s game, guard Jailyn Banks had 23 points against the Wildcats, and she could very well put up a similar number this time around. As a junior, Banks is averaging 14.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures in all of Belmont’s games this season except for one, when she put up seven points against the Buckeyes.
Avery Strickland has been a big contributor for them as well, averaging 11.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season. Tuti Jones, who had 11 against Kentucky a year ago, is putting up 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
Hilary Fuller is another name to watch for Belmont. She’s currently averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 37.5% from deep. As a team, Belmont is shooting just 30.6% from three-point range, but she’s one of their players that can get hot in a hurry from the perimeter.
Belmont Bruins roster
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Projected Kentucky Starters
#5 – Tonie Morgan
5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR
12.4 PPG – 8.5 APG – 2.9 RPG
#0 – Jordan Obi
6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
12.2 PPG – 6.2 RPG – 1 APG
#32 – Amelia Hassett
6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR
9.7 PPG – 6.1 RPG – 2 BPG
#7 – Teonni Key
6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR
11.5 PPG – 5.7 RPG – 1.6 BPG
#13 – Clara Strack
6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR
15.2 PPG – 10.2 RPG – 2.7 BPG
Phoenix’s Prediction
Score: 76-60, Kentucky
MVP: Amelia Hassett
Belmont’s 4-5 record is deceiving, and I would expect them to give Kentucky some trouble on the road. I don’t think they’ll ever truly threaten to win the game, but at the same time, I don’t think Kentucky is going to blow this team out to the point Gabby Brooks gets any PT. Give me Amelia Hassett to put up a team-high 20 points in the win.
How to Watch/Listen
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Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy triumph made noise as far afield as Rupp Arena on Saturday night.
Indiana could not claim too many fans in the building, in the Hoosiers’ first regular-season game against Kentucky in 14 years, unsurprising given the venue. But the ones who made the trip east on I-64 made themselves heard more than once during a 72-60 loss.
That included what has become a familiar chant among IU fans, one that broke out not long into the game and yet owing absolutely nothing to what was happening on the floor.
As news filtered through the arena that Mendoza had won his program’s first Heisman Trophy, fans seated in small clusters — including one group just a few feet away from the media seating area — began loudly chanting “Heis-Mendoza!” at the news.
It was the latest reminder of IU’s brave new world, with football and basketball co-existing so significantly, so late into the calendar. Curt Cignetti’s team, the No. 1 seed in this year’s College Football Playoff, will next play in the Rose Bowl, on New Year’s Day in Los Angeles.
The Hoosiers await the winner of the 8/9 game between Oklahoma and Alabama, in Norman.
In the meantime, they’ve spent the pre-Christmas period resting on the field, while cleaning up off it. Mendoza and Cignetti were named Big Ten offensive player and coach of the year, respectively, while Carter Smith won the conference’s lineman-of-the-year award.
Cignetti has also won multiple national coach-of-the-year awards, with more potentially on the way.
Mendoza added a clutch of trophies to his mantle this weekend in New York, including not just the Heisman Trophy but the Davey O’Brien Award for nation’s best quarterback and the Maxwell Award for nation’s best player. Mendoza is also the first Hoosier to win the O’Brien Award, and the second (after Anthony Thompson) to win the Maxwell.
More than a dozen Hoosiers have landed All-Big Ten and/or All-America honors since their Big Ten championship game triumph a week ago. A handful — including Smith, Aiden Fisher, Riley Nowakowski, Pat Coogan, Isaiah Jones and others — traveled to New York to celebrate with their quarterback.
Alberto Mendoza, Fernando Mendoza’s backup and younger brother, also made the trip. Both brothers became visibly emotional when Fernando referenced his younger brother during his acceptance speech.
The Hoosiers ultimately left Rupp Arena empty handed Saturday. But their football program once again left them celebrating, nonetheless.
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