Kentucky Highway Shooting Suspect Allegedly Threatened Neighbors with Rifle

In a shocking incident over the weekend, a man from Kentucky allegedly shot five people at random on Interstate 75, sparking a massive manhunt. The suspect, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, has a troubling history that includes past threats against neighbors and alarming behavior, as reported by those living nearby.

Couch’s violent tendencies were noted by residents in his community. One neighbor described a previous encounter in which Couch pointed a rifle at him and his young daughter. This alarming incident led to Couch’s arrest in February for third-degree terroristic threatening. The neighbor reported that after confronting Couch for throwing rocks at his dog, Couch retaliated by brandishing a loaded AR-style rifle.

“He went in his house, grabbed an AR-15, pointed it at mine and my daughter’s direction, said next time he would shoot me and my daughter,” the neighbor recalled, choosing to remain anonymous. Although charges were eventually dropped due to the neighbor not attending the court hearing, the incident raised significant concerns about Couch’s mental state and access to firearms.

“He’s threatened more than one person with a firearm in this neighborhood,” said the neighbor, who added that following the confrontation, three dogs belonging to the family were found dead, with two showing signs of having been poisoned.

Another neighbor, Donald Causey, initially had a good relationship with Couch but observed a change in his behavior earlier this year. Causey recounted an incident last week when Couch pulled a rifle on him simply for walking near his home.

“He went back in his house, and he came back out and he pointed his rifle and said, ‘I’ll just kill you,’” Causey recounted. Despite his prior amicable interactions with Couch, he regretted not reporting this incident afterward, considering the severity of the shooting that unfolded on the interstate.

“This spring, we got along great — I let him borrow my lawn mower a couple of times,” Causey said. “But something seemed to change, and Couch appeared to be struggling mentally. If you talked to him for 15 seconds, you could tell.”

During the heated encounter leading up to the shooting, Couch exhibited increasingly erratic behavior, including marching in circles around his house while holding his rifle. “He put it up on his shoulder like he was marching,” Causey said, emphasizing how unsettling the situation had become.

In the moments before the shooting on Saturday, alarming texts were sent by Couch. According to an arrest warrant, he texted a woman, “I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well, try at least,” followed by another message indicating he planned to harm himself afterward. The recipient of these messages promptly contacted local authorities to report his threats.

Couch now faces serious charges related to the shooting incident, including five counts each of criminal attempt to commit murder and first-degree assault. Those injured in the shooting were transported to nearby hospitals as law enforcement began their search for Couch.

Since the shooting, multiple agencies have been scouring the rugged terrain of southeastern Kentucky, particularly focusing on the Daniel Boone National Forest, where Couch may be hiding. Officials are taking the situation seriously, offering a reward of $25,000 for information that could lead to Couch’s capture.

The community remains in shock, grappling with the ramifications of Couch’s actions and the fear felt by those who previously interacted with him.

The events recur as part of a broader conversation around gun access and mental health, as many neighbors reflect on how they wished they had acted on the warnings that Couch posed a danger.